Black Sabbath - Back to the Beginning: All you need to know about this weekend's heavy metal homecoming in Birmingham
As Birmingham prepares to host the all-star heavy metal event we have gathered all the information you need to be sent 'into the void'.
Black Sabbath announced their 'Back to the Beginning' event in February to celebrate the birthplace of heavy metal music, on a day that will see Ozzy Osbourne perform for the final time in front of a sold-out Villa Park this Saturday, July 5.
The Prince of Darkness will re-join his former bandmates one last time, and give solo performance prior to the headline act as part of a star-studded bill featuring fellow rock and metal legends such as Metallica, Slayer and Alice in Chains.
Other notable performers include American heavy metal band Pantera, thrash metal group Anthrax and solo shows by Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins) and Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit).
All profits from the show will be shared equally between Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
When and where is the event taking place?
Saturday, July 5 from 11am to late. Tickets sold out on February 14 - the day they went on sale.
Villa Park, Aston Villa Football Club stadium (B6 6HE)
Who is performing?
The headline acts include: Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax and Mastodon.
There will be additional performances from Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), David Draiman (Disturbed), Duff McKagan (Gn'R), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Lizzy Hale, Jake E Lee, Jonathan Davis (Korn), KK Downing, Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Papa V Perpetua (Ghost), Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Slash (Gn'R), Sleep Token ii (Sleep Token), Tom Morello and Wolfgang Van Halen.
About the charities
Cure Parkinson’s is working with urgency to find new treatments to slow, stop and reverse Parkinson’s. Its funding and innovation has redefined the field of Parkinson’s research, enabling the world’s leading researchers to prioritise the next generation of drugs for clinical trial. Further information can be found here.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital is the UK’s leading specialist paediatric centre, caring for sick children and young people up to the age of 16. Rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC in February 2017, it is a world leader in some of the most advanced treatments, complex surgical procedures and cutting-edge research and development.
They are also home to one of the largest Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the country, with a dedicated inpatient Eating Disorder Unit and Acute Assessment Unit for regional referrals of children and young people with the most serious of problems, and their Forward Thinking Birmingham community mental health service for 0-25 year olds. Further information can be found here.
Acorn Children’s Hospice provides a happy, homely environment where children can experience all kinds of activities, meet new friends, or relax and enjoy some quiet time. Its experienced, skilled staff take time to understand each child’s individual requirements, listening to any concerns and adapting activities according to their needs. Further information can be found here.
Why are Black Sabbath reuniting one last time?
The event provides an opportunity to celebrate the originators of heavy metal and also see Ozzy Osbourne play his own short set before joining Black Sabbath for his final appearance on stage.
The band, who formed in Birmingham in 1968, previously played a farewell show to a sold-out audience of 16,000 people at the city's NEC Arena in 2017 with a set which consisted mainly of songs from their early days, including War Pigs, N.I.B. and Black Sabbath, before finishing on their breakthrough hit and signature song, Paranoid.
Following that concert, Osbourne released two solo albums, Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9, but also suffered a spinal injury in 2019 after a crash involving an ATV, requiring extensive surgery.
The same year, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and stepped back from touring after playing the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2022, but took part in a video publicising Aston Villa's 2024/25 home shirt.
He said this weekend's show is an opportunity to say thank you to everyone who made the band and him what they are today.
He said: “It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning and time for me to give back to the place where I was born.
“How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
