Tony Iommi has shared an emotional statement following the announcement of Black Sabbath’s final-ever live show.
Today (February 5), it was announced that the legendary metal band and its most iconic line-up – comprised of frontman Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – will play live together for the first time in two decades on July 5 at Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham.
The show, which will also feature support from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Anthrax and more, was announced at the home of Aston Villa by Iommi and Sharon Osbourne, the manager and wife of the iconic frontman.
Following the announcement, Iommi posted an emotional statement on social media.
It’s been an incredible journey, but it’s only fitting that it ends here, where it all began in Aston. It’s great to be honoured by your fellow musicians and at the same time support good causes. None of this would’ve been possible without Ozzy, Geezer, and Bill. What we created… pic.twitter.com/GGjOA8Xyoa
— Tony Iommi (@tonyiommi) February 5, 2025
“It’s been an incredible journey, but it’s only fitting that it ends here, where it all began in Aston,” he wrote. “It’s great to be honoured by your fellow musicians and at the same time support good causes. None of this would’ve been possible without Ozzy, Geezer, and Bill. What we created together was bigger than any one of us, and I’ll always be grateful for that. Tony.”
Tickets for Black Sabbath‘s final show go on sale next Friday (February 14) at 10am GMT, and all profits will go to charities Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice – a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa. Visit here for tickets.
Others appearing at the all-day event include Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, Sammy Hagar, Papa V Perpetua of Ghost, Wolfgang Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Slash, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Alice In Chains, Halestorm and recent Grammy-winners Gojira.
Rumours about the possibility of a one-off reunion show from the metal veterans have been swirling in recent years. In 2024, for instance, Osbourne shared that he would “jump at the chance” to play a final Black Sabbath show with co-founding drummer Ward, and Butler hinted that he and Osbourne had “agreed” to play one last gig.
Around that same time, Sharon said that Ozzy was planning “two more shows to say goodbye” before he fully retires.
The band played the final show of their last farewell tour back in 2017, wrapping up the stint at Birmingham’s arena. However, last May the singer said that he was somewhat disappointed that the last date they played didn’t include Bill Ward. The drummer had parted ways with the metal legends in 2012, due to what he claimed was an “unreasonable contract”.
Towards the end of last year, hopes for a comeback seemed to wane, as Iommi said that while he had expressed interest in performing with the band for one last show, he thought it would be unlikely to materialise.
On top of that, Ozzy addressed his declining health and shared that he might have to “accept the fact” that a live comeback would potentially not be possible due to issues such as his battle with Parkinson’s disease and recovery from multiple surgeries.
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