Black Sabbath have started rehearsing for their farewell gig.
The Paranoid rockers’ original lineup – made up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – are reuniting for the last time at the Back To The Beginning show at Birmingham’s Villa Park on July 5.
The group took to X on Tuesday (24.06.25) to share a photo of Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, and revealed: “Rehearsals are underway for Back To The Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow.”
The three men are smiling in the snap, while Ozzy – who has been open about his health struggles in recent years – is holding a cane as they sit backstage.
Tony wasn’t in the photo, but he’s still set to be part of the historic show.
The gig will mark the first time that Black Sabbath’s original line-up will have played together for 20 years but Ozzy insists that it will be the definitive end for the Paranoid rockers.
The heavy metal icon, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, told Mojo magazine: “After this show, I’m going home, closing the door and will look back upon the great career I’ve had.
“But I’m done, done, done! You gotta know when to call it quits.”
The War Pigs singer confessed that he would be feeling anxious even if was just a “regular gig”.
He added: “Even if it was a regular gig, I would be a nervous wreck. I was born nervous.
“Right now, I’m feeling grateful and proud and I’m sure I’ll be feeling dozens more emotions on the day of the show.”
The lineup will alsoi feature the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, and Lamb of God.
Guitarist Tony admitted there are “so many other moving parts” to the upcoming spectacle.
He told Music Week: “This would be a big, monumental thing if it all comes good. The worrying thing for me is the unknown.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen. Normally, when we’d tour, we’d rehearse and run through the thing for a while, and it’s just us. But with this event there are so many other moving parts.”