If you felt the earth rumble at the weekend, no, it wasn’t another heatwave-induced hallucination—it was Ozzy Osbourne taking his final bow with Black Sabbath in their hometown of Birmingham. And let us tell you: it was loud, it was emotional, and it was absolutely legendary.
That’s right. After years of health struggles, public teases, and enough false retirements to rival a boyband comeback tour, The Prince of Darkness gave fans one more night of pure, unfiltered Sabbath magic. And where better to do it than Brum? This is the city where it all started. The home of heavy metal. The place where four local lads turned guitar riffs and grit into a global phenomenon.
Coming full circle here? Honestly, it hit harder than a Tony Iommi power chord.
Back Where It All Began
Held at Villa Park in front of a roaring sea of black t-shirts, leather jackets, and eyeliner that had melted somewhere around song three, Ozzy’s swansong was exactly what fans hoped for. From the moment he stepped on stage, there was a current in the air that said, This is it. And it’s going to be epic.
They opened with “War Pigs”—because of course they did. That riff echoed through the stadium like a battle cry, and the crowd absolutely lost it. “Iron Man”? Don’t even get us started. People were headbanging so hard we saw someone’s beer leap from their cup like it was trying to crowd surf.
Ozzy in All His Glory
A 76 year-old man with severe Parkinson’s who can’t stand anymore and can still command the stage and captivate every single person in the audience…
Ozzy Osbourne your legacy will be forever untouched. pic.twitter.com/v4ID7N02xi
— 🦦Sabrina🦦 (@Europe4CYJ) July 5, 2025
Ozzy, bless him, looked every bit the rock legend he is. Black sequinned coat, wild grin, and that unmistakable shuffle-dance that says, “Yes, my spine is 76 years old, but I’m still the f***ing Prince of Darkness.” And when he shouted, “Let me see your hands!”? Every single person in that stadium obliged, from the kids in the front row to the grandads wearing 1980s merch like a badge of honour.
Let’s not gloss over the elephant in the room: Ozzy’s had a rough few years. Parkinson’s, multiple surgeries, and having to cancel tours left fans genuinely worried we’d seen the last of him on stage. So when he belted out “Paranoid” to close the night, there were real tears. Grown men. Crying. In leather. One fan tweeted: “I never thought I’d sob during ‘Paranoid’ but here we are. Brum forever. Ozzy forever.”
Fan Love and Full Volume Feels
Social media was on fire all night. One TikTok of Ozzy saying “This is my home. This is my heart,” before launching into “Children of the Grave” hit over 2 million views by Monday morning. X (formerly Twitter) was a riot of love and nostalgia. “Ozzy ending it all where it began. Birmingham, you lucky sods,” wrote @MetalMama71. Another user posted a selfie with the caption, “I waited 20 years for this night. Worth every sweaty second.”
Even Sharon Osbourne was spotted in the VIP section, dabbing her eyes with a tissue and wearing what looked like the most glam version of battle armour we’ve ever seen.
Stage Goals
Let’s talk production. This wasn’t just a stage—it was a flaming cathedral of metal. Pyro blasts, demonic visuals, and at one point, a giant inflatable bat flew over the crowd and everyone lost their minds. It was gloriously over-the-top, exactly what you’d want for a Sabbath farewell.
Tony Iommi was, as always, a riff machine. Geezer Butler brought the thunder. And even though original drummer Bill Ward didn’t join for the whole set, he made a surprise appearance mid-show for a drum-heavy encore that had fans roaring like it was 1974.
Legacy Loud and Clear
Black Sabbath aren’t just a band. They’re the band. The blueprint. The reason your dad, your older cousin, and that cool girl from college all went through a leather phase. They invented a genre and never let go of it, even when trends changed or their own bodies fought against them.
Sunday night wasn’t about mourning the end. It was a proper send-off. A sweaty, ear-splitting, emotional celebration of a career that rewrote the rules of rock forever.
The Final Bow
At the very end, Ozzy stood on stage, arms outstretched, eyes glistening, and simply said, “Thank you, Birmingham. I love you all. Goodnight.”
And just like that, the curtain closed on a legacy. One final bow in the city that raised him. No fuss, no encore. Just a thunderous roar from 40,000 metalheads who knew they’d witnessed history.
So yeah, we cried a little. We screamed a lot. And our ears are still ringing. But would we do it all over again?
In a heartbeat. Long live the Prince.