Thousands Gather in Birmingham for Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Concert

Thousands of fans arrived clad in black, adorned with T-shirts bearing crucifixes, dragons, and demonic imagery.

They gathered on Saturday in Birmingham, England, to pay homage to a figure revered almost religiously within the heavy metal community: Ozzy Osbourne, known as the 'Prince of Darkness.'

Since forming Black Sabbath in 1968 alongside Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Geezer Butler in Birmingham, Osbourne and his bandmates have been widely credited as the pioneers of heavy metal.

At 76 years old, Osbourne was the focal point of "Back to the Beginning," a marathon 10-hour concert held at Villa Park stadium that was billed as Black Sabbath’s final stage appearance.

Although this was not the first time Osbourne had announced his retirement from touring or live performances, this occasion appeared more definitive. In recent years, he has battled various health challenges, including Parkinson’s disease. In February, he revealed on a radio show that he could no longer walk. Many attendees, who had purchased sold-out tickets, expressed relief and joy simply at the prospect of him appearing on stage, even if he did not sing.