Ozzy Osbourne will be returning home. On Wednesday, July 30, the body of the metal legend, who passed away on July 22 at the age of 76, will pass through Birmingham, England, where he was born. The BBC reports that tomorrow at 1 p.m. BST, Osbourne’s cortege will be marched along Broad Street in the city centre, giving fans a chance to bid him farewell.
The funeral will then make its way to the Black Sabbath Bridge and bench, where fans have left hundreds of memorials, notes and floral arrangements since Osbourne’s passing. Since its dedication in 2019, the bench honouring the groundbreaking heavy metal group led by Ozzy has grown to become a popular destination for admirers of the band and its adored leader. It has pictures of all four of the group’s original members: drummer Bill Ward, guitarist Tony Iommi, and bassist Geezer Butler. On the right side is the band’s emblem, and underneath is the phrase “Made in Birmingham.”
“We’re going to pay our last respects and homage to one of the greatest living legends of Birmingham,” said Zafar Iqbal, Lord Mayor of Birmingham in a statement about the procession that will be accompanied by local group Bostin’ Brass. “He put Birmingham on the map. He put Aston on the map,” Iqbal said of the musician he dubbed a “son of Birmingham.”
Ozzy’s family will be able to witness the fan tributes, which include those from ardent fans who travelled from as far away as Mexico, the United States, and Poland, at the public ceremony that will precede a private funeral. “To our king of metal, you were a light in the darkness, the most beautiful, humble, glorious madman,” read one heartfelt comment from a Greek fan. We were all quite fortunate. I appreciate the music. I don’t know who I would be without it.
Along with the procession, fans and the general public are encouraged to show their respects by going to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where they can sign a book of condolence and view the Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero exhibit, which was unveiled last month by the singer’s manager and wife, Sharon Osbourne.
Due to a number of health problems that hindered his ability to tour, Osbourne passed away two weeks after performing his last solo and Sabbath set at the huge July 5 Back to the Beginning show in Birmingham, where he sung from a black, bat-decked throne.
Fans might find solace in the fact that a number of forthcoming posthumous initiatives will continue to honour his memory, such as the documentary Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow, which will be released in theatres in early 2026 and feature a Back to the Beginning concert. Additionally, Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now, a feature-length documentary that follows Ozzy’s six-year recovery from a terrible 2019 fall and his struggle with a Parkinson’s diagnosis, is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ later this year.
