Black Sabbath’s Toni Iommi feels “nervous” ahead of the band’s farewell gig.
The iconic rock band are set to perform at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday (05.07.25), and the upcoming show will mark the first time that the original line-up – which includes Toni, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – will have played together in 20 years.
Speaking to BBC Midlands Today, Toni admitted: “We’re all nervous really.”
The musician confessed that he’s struggling to “absorb” the weight of pressure and expectation from fans.
He said: “People are coming from all over the world and I just can’t absorb it.”
Ozzy, 76, is only expected to sing four songs due to ongoing health issues, and Toni admits that their preparations haven’t been easy.
He shared: “I wouldn’t say it’s been easy, it’s been tough, because none of us are getting younger and to stand there for a couple of hours is tiring.”
Black Sabbath have performed at huge venues in the past, but Toni admits that playing Villa Park will be a unique experience for the band.
He said: “This is totally different from anything else we’ve done, you know we’ve played for 300,000 people but this is nerve-wracking.”
Toni is also conscious that the upcoming gig is the group’s farewell performance, meaning that he wants to make the most of the experience.
He explained: “We’re never going to do this again, this will be it.”
Meanwhile, Ozzy previously revealed that he was looking forward to performing at Villa Park, describing Birmingham as “the true home of metal”.
The 76-year-old star admitted that he couldn’t wait to perform at the home of his beloved Aston Villa FC.
Ozzy – who was born in the Midlands, but has lived in the US in recent decades – said in a statement: “It’s my time to go back to the beginning … time for me to give back to the place where I was born.
“How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham forever.”
Music director Tom Morello also promised that the Black Sabbath show will be a memorable event.
He said: “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”