Birmingham sets first Ozzy Day for anniversary of Osbourne’s death
The Black Sabbath frontman’s hometown will mark July 22 with free music, films, art and tributes across the city centre.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Birmingham is turning July 22 into Ozzy Day, with the city preparing a free, city-centre tribute to Ozzy Osbourne on the first anniversary of the Black Sabbath singer’s death.
Birmingham City Council announced the programme Thursday, saying the day will bring together live music, public art, special performances and communal tributes tied to Osbourne’s life, career and roots in Aston, the Birmingham district where he was born.
The council said the first annual Ozzy Day will celebrate the city’s bond with the singer, whose Black Sabbath fame helped make Birmingham a pilgrimage spot for rock fans. The city already draws visitors to sites including the Black Sabbath Bench and murals of Osbourne.
What Birmingham has planned
Among the events announced by the council are pop-up sets from Bostin Brass, the brass band that took part in Osbourne’s funeral procession in 2025. The group will perform music from Black Sabbath and Osbourne’s solo catalogue at locations around the city.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is also scheduled to give a lunchtime concert as part of the tribute programme.
The Birmingham Music Archive and OPUS, also known as Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces, will contribute tributes and short films focused on Osbourne and his Birmingham story, according to the council.
A limited-edition shirt will be sold only on Ozzy Day. The council said it will feature an image of Osbourne from his Back to the Beginning farewell concert, with the reverse listing all 52 Birmingham performances he played across Black Sabbath and solo shows.
A hometown sendoff, one year later
Councillor Deborah Harries, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for culture, said in a statement that Osbourne remains one of the city’s leading cultural figures and that Birmingham continues to honor the place where his career began.
Harries said city partners were joining to mark Osbourne’s influence on music and his pride in Birmingham. She also pointed to Black Sabbath’s Freedom of the City honor, which the band received on June 30, 2025, as part of the city’s recognition of the group’s impact.
The anniversary events, Harries said, are intended to give residents and visitors a way to celebrate that legacy while showing Birmingham’s creativity, culture and character.
Osbourne died on July 22, 2025, at age 76. Rolling Stone reported that he died from a heart attack. His death came 17 days after Back to the Beginning, the all-star farewell concert he staged in Birmingham.
The July 22 programme gives Birmingham another public moment with one of its most famous musical exports, a year after fans gathered to mourn the singer known around the world as the Prince of Darkness.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.