Ozzfest is returning in 2027, and the confirmation is now unambiguous. Sharon Osbourne made it official at MIDEM 2026 in Cannes, France, committing the festival to two days in Birmingham followed by North American dates and a full touring run in 2028. For the story of everything that led to this moment, read the complete story of the members of Black Sabbath.
The 2027 edition will open at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham, the same ground where Black Sabbath played their farewell concert in July 2025, connecting Ozzfest directly to the legacy of that final night.
Below is the full confirmed picture: what we know, what has been quoted, who might headline, and why the festival is coming back now.
Image Credit: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic
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Sharon Osbourne Confirms Ozzfest 2027
On February 6, 2026, at the MIDEM music industry conference in Cannes, France, Sharon Osbourne gave the clearest confirmation yet that Ozzfest would return.
Her exact words, when asked about the festival’s future: “Yes, absolutely. Yeah, we’re gonna do it.”
She went further on The Osbournes podcast episode of March 4, 2026, providing specifics on location, format, and the longer-term touring plan for 2028.
Sharon confirmed active talks with Live Nation to finalize the logistics of the Ozzfest return.
The announcement was reported by Billboard and Metal Injection, both confirming the Birmingham-first format with North American shows to follow.
The official Ozzfest social accounts confirmed the news directly, with the Ozzfest Facebook page stating the festival would take place in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
It was the first direct, unambiguous public commitment to a date and location since the festival last ran in 2018.
Sharon’s Exact Quote
“Yes, absolutely. Yeah, we’re gonna do it.” — Sharon Osbourne, MIDEM, Cannes, February 6, 2026
Where Will Ozzfest 2027 Take Place?
Ozzfest 2027 will open with two days at Villa Park, the Aston Villa Football Club stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England.
Sharon was precise: “We wanna do two days in Aston Villa.”
Villa Park is the same venue where Black Sabbath played the Back to the Beginning farewell concert on July 5, 2025, Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance before his death 17 days later.
Aston is where Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward all grew up and formed Black Sabbath in 1968.
Opening Ozzfest there carries a weight that no other venue could replicate.
Two North American shows follow the Birmingham run in 2027.
A full traveling Ozzfest tour across multiple cities is planned for 2028, returning to the model that defined the festival at its peak.
What Acts Will Play Ozzfest 2027?
No official lineup has been announced for Ozzfest 2027 as of May 2026.
The confirmed focus is on up-and-coming metal talent, exactly as Ozzy always intended when he founded the festival in 1996.
Jack Osbourne has spoken about the power of the second stage model: “That second stage was the incubator, where so many guys came out of.”
His tribute to what his father built is detailed in our piece on Jack Osbourne’s tribute to Ozzy.
Sharon has said she would love to see Rob Halford of Judas Priest headline the 2027 Birmingham shows.
Halford missed the Back to the Beginning concert due to a prior commitment with the Scorpions, making him one of the most logical headliner candidates for the Ozzfest return.
Full lineup announcements are expected in late 2026.
What fans are hoping to see at Ozzfest 2027
- Rob Halford of Judas Priest (Sharon’s personal top choice)
- New and emerging metal acts on the second stage
- Established heavy metal headliners honoring Ozzy’s legacy
- Artists connected to the Back to the Beginning lineup
The History of Ozzfest (1996–2018)
Ozzfest launched in 1996 after Lollapalooza declined to include Ozzy Osbourne as a headliner, and Ozzy and Sharon responded by creating their own festival.
The first edition featured Ozzy Osbourne and Pantera headlining a traveling tour across the United States, establishing the dual-stage format from the start.
Ozzfest ran nearly every year from 1996 through 2018, launching the careers of bands including Disturbed, System of a Down, Avenged Sevenfold, and many more through its celebrated second stage.
The full history of Ozzfest on Wikipedia documents every edition from 1996 to 2018.
The final edition was held in 2018 at The Forum in Los Angeles, just one month before Ozzy first became seriously ill.
Sharon has since been clear about what happened: “There was no plan to stop it. We were still gonna do it, but Ozzy couldn’t.”
Ozzfest went on pause not by choice but by necessity, which is why Sharon’s confirmation of the 2027 return carries the weight of unfinished business finally being resolved.
Ozzfest at a Glance
- Founded: 1996 by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne
- Format: Multi-stage touring heavy metal festival
- Active years: 1996–2018 (nearly annual)
- Final edition: 2018, The Forum, Los Angeles
- Hiatus cause: Ozzy Osbourne’s illness, not a planned ending
- 2027 return: Villa Park Birmingham then North America
- 2028: Full multi-city touring Ozzfest planned
Why Ozzfest Is Coming Back in 2027
The timing of the Ozzfest return is not arbitrary.
The Back to the Beginning farewell concert at Villa Park in July 2025 drew 42,000 fans and 3 million paid livestream viewers, proving that demand for major metal events in Birmingham had never been stronger.
Ozzy Osbourne’s death 17 days after that concert transformed the event into a defining cultural moment, one that raised Aston and Birmingham to a new prominence in the story of heavy metal.
The tribute events and rock reunions that followed, including those covered in our piece on the rock legends tribute to Ozzy, demonstrated that the metal community’s connection to his legacy remained fully intact.
Sharon has addressed directly the question of whether Ozzfest can operate without Ozzy performing: “It will work without you,” she said, speaking to the brand her husband created.
Ozzfest was always bigger than any single performance from Ozzy.
Its legacy rests on the second stage that launched hundreds of careers, the community it built over 22 years, and the standard it set for how a metal festival could honor both its past and its future simultaneously.
🎸 Essential Black Sabbath Albums 🎵
Celebrate the festival’s legacy with these must-have records
🎤 Black Sabbath (Deluxe Edition)
1970 – Vertigo Records
The album that invented heavy metal and made the festival possible.
Features the legendary title track and “N.I.B.” that defined a genre.
Essential listening for understanding Ozzy Osbourne’s monumental legacy.
🎤 Paranoid
1970 – Vertigo Records
Black Sabbath’s masterpiece that defined heavy metal forever.
Contains “Paranoid,” “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Fairies Wear Boots.”
The album that proved metal could be both heavy and commercially successful.
🎤 Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
1970 – Warner Bros
The groundbreaking debut that launched Black Sabbath’s legendary career.
Contains “The Wizard” and the revolutionary opening track.
Perfect for commemorating the potential return in 2027.
🎤 Seventh Star
1986 – Warner Bros
Black Sabbath’s evolution showcasing Tony Iommi’s guitar mastery.
Features Glenn Hughes on vocals during Sabbath’s transformation era.
Represents the band’s experimental spirit that the festival later championed.
🎵 When you purchase through these links, you help support ClassicRockArtists.com at no extra cost to you. Thank you for keeping classic rock journalism alive! 🎵
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Ozzfest 2027 FAQ
Sources
Billboard — Sharon Osbourne Confirms Ozzfest 2027 Return
Metal Injection — Ozzfest Will Return in 2027
Last updated: May 2026
