Black Sabbath Shares Rehearsal Picture For Final Show

Black Sabbath is officially back in action — at least for one epic night. The band just shared a photo from rehearsals for their upcoming Back to the Beginning show, and it features a heartwarming sight: Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward sitting side-by-side on a couch, smiling like old friends.

The photo caption reads: “Rehearsals are underway for Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow.” Fans were thrilled to see Ward, who hasn’t performed with Sabbath since 2005, back in the mix. One noticeable absence? Guitarist Tony Iommi. Judging by the candid, blurry quality of the pic, maybe he was the one snapping the shot.

A Star-Studded Night in Birmingham

The big event will happen on July 5 at Villa Park in Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England. The show is shaping up to be one for the metal history books. Not only is it a reunion of Sabbath’s classic lineup, but it’s also Ozzy’s farewell performance after years of health issues keeping him offstage.

The lineup is stacked — Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Halestorm, Mastodon, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Rival Sons, and more are all set to perform. And yes, many of them will be playing Black Sabbath songs in tribute.

Livestream Access and One Last Bow

Can’t make it to England? No problem. A livestream of the show kicks off at 3 PM BST on July 5. Fans who buy access will also be able to rewatch the entire thing for 48 hours afterward.

As Zakk Wylde said in March:

“Considering all the bands that are on that thing, and everybody’s gonna be playing Sabbath songs, it’s gonna be pretty mind-blowing. It’s gonna be pretty awesome. And then to see Ozz get up there and do a song with ’em and then watch Sabbath play. I think for all the bands that are gonna be there — ’cause if it wasn’t for Sabbath, none of us would exist. You know what I mean? So I think it’s gonna be special for everybody.”

This concert is truly a celebration of the band that started it all.