Sharon Osbourne confirms the return of the legendary metal festival to the place where it all began and ended.

Some places are more than just venues. Villa Park in Birmingham is one of them. Here, in the shadow of the Aston Villa Football Club stands, Ozzy Osbourne took his final bow on 5 July 2025 with the “Back to the Beginning” festival. Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Alice in Chains, Pantera and Lamb of God performed in his honour. Just 17 days later, on 22 July, the Prince of Darkness passed away at the age of 76.

Now, this very place is set to become the starting point of a new chapter.

Two Days in Birmingham, Two Days in America

Sharon Osbourne confirmed on the family podcast “The Osbournes” that Ozzfest will return in 2027. The plan: a two-day event at Villa Park, followed by two more days in North America. Not a travelling festival like in the glory days, but a focused relaunch. If demand holds up, Ozzfest could hit the road again from 2028 onwards.

The announcement did not come out of nowhere. As early as 6 February, Sharon had hinted at the revival during MIDEM 2026 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. On 3 March, the official Ozzfest account on X posted a cryptic teaser: “Ozzfest will return …” And according to Sharon, talks with Live Nation are already underway.

The Birthplace of the Metal Festival

To talk about Ozzfest is to talk about the DNA of the modern metal festival. Founded by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne in 1996, the format quickly became the most important stage for emerging bands in the heavy metal world. Slipknot, System of a Down and countless other acts owe their breakthrough to Ozzfest. For over two decades, the festival defined the summer circuit for heavy music in North America, first as a full-scale touring festival until 2007, then as sporadic events through to 2018.

Its end was not due to a lack of will. Sharon spoke openly about the reasons on the podcast: managers and agents kept demanding more until it simply no longer made financial sense. As a concrete example, she named an act that refused to go on stage at one of the early Ozzfest editions until they were paid an extra $10,000. When Jack asked why she was protecting the name, she answered directly: Glenn Danzig.

The final edition took place on New Year’s Eve 2018 at The Forum in Los Angeles, shortly before Ozzy’s health made it impossible to continue. Ozzy had been publicly battling Parkinson’s since 2020 and was unable to walk towards the end. Yet the idea still drove him: would Ozzfest work without him? Sharon recalled his words: Ozzfest was a brand that could survive without him. He wanted it to carry on.

New Bands, Old Spirit

That sentiment now sits at the heart of the revival. Sharon repeatedly emphasised that finding young, new talent is the top priority. That, she said, is what Ozzy always wanted: to give a new generation a stage in front of a large audience.

At the same time, there is already a prominent name on the wishlist. Sharon mentioned Rob Halford of Judas Priest, who missed the “Back to the Beginning” show last year because Priest were playing at the same time with the Scorpions in Hannover. Halford himself had publicly spoken about how gutted he was to miss Ozzy’s final concert. An Ozzfest appearance in 2027 would be the chance to make up for that.

Beyond the UK and US focus, Jack Osbourne also brought up India. The recently held Lollapalooza edition there had been a huge success, and Sharon reported seeing countless Ozzy and Sabbath shirts in the crowd.

More Than a Festival

Ozzfest was never just a music festival. Sharon described it as summer camp, a place without ego battles and hierarchies. The fact that the return is happening in Birmingham of all places, where Ozzy was born, where Black Sabbath came into being and where the final curtain fell, makes this revival more than a business decision.

It is the continuation of a legacy. And if Sharon Osbourne gets her way, 2027 will be the beginning of something that reaches far beyond a single weekend.