Black Sabbath’s Final Show Announcement
Black Sabbath revealed its final performance this week, but the metal icons have said goodbye several times before. Check out footage and lists from their previous “final shows” below.
- READ MORE: Sharon Osborne and Tony Iommi talk about the finale Black Sabbath: “Usually this thing is done when you are dead.”
On Wednesday (February 5), the band announced that it will reunite with its original lineup, featuring vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward for one last show this summer.
The event will take place at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5 and will feature an impressive lineup of supporting acts, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins, Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses, Alice in Chains, members of Limp Bizkit and Korn, as well as Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine (who will also serve as the concert’s music director).
Tickets will go on sale next Friday (February 14) at 10 a.m., with all profits going to charity, including Parkinson’s treatment, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice, supported by Aston Villa. Visit tickets here.
Previous Farewell Performances
While it appears this may actually be the final Black Sabbath show, it’s worth noting that the band has historically bid farewell multiple times.
Their first farewell concert took place on November 15, 1992, at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California, as part of Ozzy Osbourne’s solo tour titled “No More Tours.” This event marked the last live performance for Ozzy, with Iommi, Butler, and Ward joining him for the first time since Live Aid in 1985.
They performed four tracks—“Black Sabbath,” “Fairies Wear Boots,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid”—but Ozzy’s retirement was short-lived as he returned for a tour in 1995. Listen to their ’92 reunion here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tzrkse0qw
The original lineup reunited again in 1997 for a two-year tour, culminating in a performance in their hometown of Birmingham at the NEC Arena. Coined “The Last Supper,” their December 22, 1999 show was expected to be their final concert. View the band discussing this along with clips from Black Sabbath below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixj3sae8x1m
Setlist from 1999’s Farewell Show
On the farewell show in ’99, Black Sabbath played:
“War Pigs”
‘Nib’
‘Fairies Wear Boots’
‘After Forever’
“Electric Funeral”
‘Sweet Leaf’
‘Into the Void’
‘Guitar Solo’
‘Snowblind’
‘Dirty Women’
‘Black Sabbath’
‘Iron Man’
‘Children of the Grave’
‘Paranoid’
Despite disbanding, they occasionally reunited during the 2000s. A reunion tour featuring the original lineup was set for 2011, but Ward left the project after it was revealed another drummer would be performing alongside him. The band continued without him, with Ozzy’s drummer, Tommy Clufetos, filling in.
The so-called “final farewell” took place on February 4, 2017, during their world tour at the Genting Arena in Birmingham. This performance was documented in the film Black Sabbath: The End of the End. Check out highlights here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lshxkpsqj6o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pthey0-p4my
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-tchxjcvw
Setlist from February 4, 2017
Sabbath’s setlist on February 4, 2017 included:
‘Black Sabbath’
‘Fairies Wear Boots’
‘Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes’
‘After Forever’
‘Into the Void’
‘Snowblind’
“War Pigs”
‘Behind the Wall of Sleep’
‘Nib’
‘Hand of Doom’
‘Supernaut’/Sabbath Blood Sabbath ‘ / ‘Megalomania’
‘Rat Salad’
‘Iron Man’
‘Dirty Women’
‘Children of the Grave’
‘Paranoid’
This performance marked the last time Black Sabbath played together, even though it was without Ward.
In recent years, rumors have circulated regarding the potential for a last reunion show from the metal veterans. For instance, in 2024, Osbourne indicated he would “take the opportunity” to play the final “Black Sabbath” show with Ward, while Butler hinted that he and Osbourne had “agreed” to perform one final concert.
Simultaneously, Sharon, Osbourne’s wife and manager, stated that he was planning “two more shows to say goodbye” before he fully retired.
After the announcement of the “Back to the Beginning” show this summer, NME spoke with Sharon, who said: “You can’t really say goodbye. Look at the legacies they are leaving behind; it’s a tremendous gift for the whole world. As long as their music exists, it will never be goodbye. This is here for eternity.”
She shared that Ozzy is currently feeling “very emotional” about the final show, which is “exactly what he wants.”
“He wants to express his gratitude to everyone. He hasn’t had that chance due to his illness, but now he finally has the opportunity.”
https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-black-sabbath-play-previous-final-shows-in-1992-1999-and-2017-3835762?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watch-black-sabbath-play-previous-final-shows-in-1992-1999-and-2017
