Ozzy Osbourne at Blizzcon, 2009 (Wiki ref - this image was originally posted to Flickr by Morten Skovgaard at https://flickr.com/photos/19407337@N00/3856779039. It was reviewed on 15 February 2023 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.)
Villa Park has been confirmed as the venue for the festival’s 2027 comeback. The announcement is fitting, given how Black Sabbath were formed in Birmingham in 1968. Villa Park was the host stadium for Back to the Beginning in July 2025.
Ozzfest is Coming Home in 2027
Sharon Osbourne created Ozzfest in 1996. Some of the names that performed at Ozzfest include Slipknot, Deftones, and Foo Fighters. The last festival took place in 2018. Sharon Osbourne has previously said she wants to give new bands a way to get exposure, and that Ozzfest is the perfect platform to do so. Instead of being another major rock event, the festival will honour Ozzy’s legacy.
Stadiums and open-air venues bring a sense of scale that not many arenas can match. They can host thousands of fans, and have state-of-the-art lighting and production. Films and concerts have previously been filmed at Wembley Stadium, Knebworth and San Siro. Football stadiums are the backdrop for major boxing events and large-scale broadcasts.
Documentaries like Soccer Shrines explore major football grounds like Old Trafford and Amsterdam Arena. In iGaming, casino games online like Goal Goal Goal! Roulette has a football stadium theme, which draws from the energy and grandeur associated with matchday entertainment.
For Ozzfest, Villa Park is about more than having a venue with a big capacity. It helps to connect to the Back to the Beginning performance. Ozzy Osbourne performed his final show there with Black Sabbath. Back to the Beginning was held on July 5, 2025, and was originally intended to be a one-off, global pay-per-view livestream.
News has confirmed that it’s now entering production for an official home media release. Streaming the show in theatres across the world would generate interest in Ozzfest, given the success of Ghost’s 2 Big to Rig concert. Ghost’s filmed performance streamed at cinemas and experienced an impressive turnout.
Ozzfest Was Filmed in the Past
The dates for Ozzfest have not been confirmed, but it’s highly expected that the event will be filmed. We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll was released in 2001 and was directed by Penelope Spheeris. The documentary was filmed during 1999’s Ozzfest tour, and showcases the culture of rock, as well as several behind-the-scenes features.
It shows bands like Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, and Slipknot as they rose to fame. Ozzfest: 10th Anniversary is another example.
This was a live DVD and CD release that captured the highlights from the festival. In 2022, a Virtual Ozzfest was announced. Black Label Society, Skid Row, Megadeth, Motorhead, and The Raven Age topped the bill. Ozzfest was also the first festival in music history to enter the metaverse. It had its own dedicated land parcel and two stages. It was free for all, and no VR headset was required. Merchandise was made exclusively for CryptoBatz holders.
If the 2027 announcement is anything to go by, it’s clear that Ozzfest never really went away; it was just waiting for the right time to return.
