Image: Black Sabbath “Back To The Beginning” Group Photo [Ross Halfin]
On Saturday, July 5, the time had finally come. A bittersweet day for all Black Sabbath fans, and still an event every metalhead could only look forward to. After all, with their final show “Back To The Beginning”, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne created an experience that will be hard to surpass any time soon. At Villa Park in Birmingham, both the legendary band Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne – The Prince of Darkness himself – delivered a show for the metal history books. For this final day in the live spotlight, they shared the stage with an almost unbelievably huge number of iconic musicians, creating an event with over 10 hours of showtime. The lineup featured acts like Metallica, Tool, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Anthrax, and many more – including supergroups like we’ve never seen before! The whole event was hosted by Jason Momoa, who even ended up jumping into the moshpit himself!
You’ll find the setlists from Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne further down.
Highlights from “Back To The Beginning”
The entire event was packed with one highlight after another – with so many music stars on stage, there was no chance for boredom. One of the most emotional moments of the day: Yungblud’s cover of “Changes”, which moved the crowd to tears. The young artist was joined by his supergroup colleagues Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne), and II (Sleep Token). On social media, Ozzy even commented on the performance: “Better than me.” Yungblud, who has looked up to Ozzy for a long time and has already collaborated with him, may now truly take the torch for the next generation.
Other supergroup performances brought even more icons together on stage. Sharing the mic were Ghost’s Papa V. Perpetua, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, Sammy Hagar (formerly Van Halen), and Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins. Ozzy tracks like “Flying High Again” and “Bark at the Moon” were performed. A touching moment especially with Steven Tyler, who due to a vocal cord injury hasn't been active live for a long time. Also live on stage: Tom Morello and Ronnie Wood, with covers of bands like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. Meanwhile, Chad Smith, Danny Carey, and Travis Barker were on the drums simultaneously, giving everything they had.
The show continued with short sets from the massive lineup, packed with energy, from Alice In Chains to Halestorm – and of course, there was also the epic supergroup jam featuring David Draiman (Disturbed), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), and Yungblud on vocals, joined by musicians from bands like Faith No More, Anthrax, and Megadeth.
Black Sabbath Setlist:
As previously announced, the setlists from Black Sabbath and Ozzy were kept compact – but that in no way diminished the impact of the show. To hear the biggest hits live one more time, especially considering Ozzy’s health, was truly a gift! Despite all limitations, the legend sat on a throne with a powerful voice and gave everything he had for this final performance. Things got emotional for Ozzy too, as he later wrote on social media:
"Don’t know if anyone could see but my eyes had some tears. I’m grateful you have all stuck by me for so long and especially turned out for this great cause."
All proceeds from the concert will be donated to charitable organizations.
These are the songs performed by Black Sabbath and Ozzy:
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War Pigs
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N.I.B.
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Iron Man
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Paranoid
Ozzy Osbourne Setlist:
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I Don’t Know
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Mr. Crowley
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Suicide Solution
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Mama, I’m Coming Home
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Crazy Train
And with that, the founding fathers of metal take their final bow. It has been a long journey – one that made history, moved lives, and shaped the world of music. Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne will always have a place in this music scene, even if they’re no longer on stage themselves!
Here are some impressions for everyone who missed the livestream or just wants to relive the memories:
