The city of Birmingham, United Kingdom will pay its final respects to one of its most cherished cultural icons Ozzy Osbourne as his cortège and family visit Broad Street in the city that he loved.
On Wednesday, July 30, the hearse and accompanying vehicles will slowly make their way down Broad Street from 1 p.m. to the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, where thousands of fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes in recent days. The cortège will be accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin’ Brass, bringing a final musical moment to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne.
The event is expected to draw large crowds as fans gather to say goodbye to the man who helped shape the global heavy metal genre and who proudly carried the spirit of Birmingham throughout his career, whilst allowing his family a chance to see the many memories his loyal fans have left alongside flowers and tributes.
Ozzy and his fellow BLACK SABBATH bandmembers Terence “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were recently given the Freedom of the City on June 28.
Zafar Iqbal, Birmingham’s lord mayor, an honorary position, said: “Ozzy was more than a music legend — he was a son of Birmingham. Having recently been awarded the Freedom Of The City and following his celebrated appearance at the ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert at Villa Park earlier this month, it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans. We’re proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began, and we are grateful that they have generously offered to pay to enable this to happen and support the city is giving him the farewell he deserves.”
Birmingham City Council has worked at pace with its partners over the weekend to coordinate a respectful and safe public event in collaboration with the Osbourne family, who have kindly funded all of the associated costs. The Council would also like to thank businesses and residents in the Broad Street and wider city centre area for their co-operation, alongside support from West Midlands Metro and West Midlands Police, during this important time for the safety of gathered fans.
Broad Street will be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. and buses and trams will be diverted during this time. Local access will be managed where possible but can not be guaranteed. Broad Street will re-open as soon as possible after the event. Stewards will be on hand, and visitors are encouraged to arrive early, use public transport, and follow safety guidance on site.
For those not able to make the occasion, the livestream of the Black Sabbath Bench will continue to operate and is accessible online.
There is also a book of condolence for public messages at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, alongside the “Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero” exhibition, highlighting his solo career achievements.
Ozzy died the morning of July 22, his family announced in a statement.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,” the family said.
No cause of death was given, but Osbourne had battled a number of health issues over the past several years, including Parkinson’s disease and injuries he sustained from a late-night fall in 2019.
Ozzy‘s death came a little more than two weeks after he took the stage for his final performance with BLACK SABBATH at Villa Park in the band’s original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom. They performed four songs for more than 40,000 people in the stadium and 5.8 million more on a livestream. Ozzy also played a five-song solo set while seated in a bat-adorned throne.
Formed in Birmingham in 1968, BLACK SABBATH is widely recognized as one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, with a career spanning decades and over 75 million albums sold worldwide. Their impact on the genre remains as significant today as it was in the early 1970s, with their music shaping generations of metal musicians.
Ozzy‘s family reality television show “The Osbournes” won a 2002 Primetime Emmy.
In 2006, Osbourne and the other members of the original BLACK SABBATH were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Ozzy was also inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in 2024.
Osbourne won several Grammys, including one in 1993 for his solo song “I Don’t Want To Change The World”.
Ozzy and his wife and manager Sharon started their annual tour — Ozzfest — in 1996 after he was rejected from the lineup of what at the time was the top touring music festival, Lollapalooza. The first traveling version of Ozzfest in 1997 included MARILYN MANSON and PANTERA as part of the lineup.
Osbourne leaves behind his wife, three children from his first marriage (including an adopted son from his first wife’s previous relationship),and three with Sharon: Jack, Kelly and Aimee.
Photo credit: Ross Halfin
