Rock Royalty Immortalized: Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne Statue Stands Tall at Villa Park Ahead of Farewell Show
BIRMINGHAM, UK — July 4, 2025— In a moment of thunderous applause and teary-eyed tributes, legendary heavy metal frontman Ozzy Osbourne was immortalized in bronze today as a towering statue was unveiled outside Aston Villa’s Villa Park stadium, just hours ahead of his historic farewell show, *Back to the Beginning*.
Standing nearly 10 feet tall and capturing the Prince of Darkness mid-scream with arms outstretched and iconic round sunglasses gleaming, the statue is both a tribute to Osbourne’s musical legacy and a heartfelt nod to his Birmingham roots. Born and raised just miles from the stadium, the Black Sabbath vocalist has long been a vocal supporter of Aston Villa, making the location a fitting backdrop for what’s being dubbed “the end of an era.”
“This is surreal. I started out with nothing but a dream in Aston and now there’s a bloody statue of me!” Ozzy chuckled during the unveiling, flanked by wife Sharon, fellow Black Sabbath bandmates, and members of the Villa squad. “I may be saying goodbye to the stage, but this city—this club—it’s in my bones forever.”
The bronze monument was commissioned by Aston Villa FC and the Birmingham City Council to celebrate not only Osbourne’s five-decade career with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, but also his impact on the city’s cultural identity. Sculptor Eloise Maddox, who previously worked on the acclaimed Tony Iommi bust in Birmingham’s Centenary Square, said capturing Ozzy’s raw energy and larger-than-life persona was “both terrifying and thrilling.”
“Ozzy’s not just a musician. He’s a movement, a force of nature. I wanted the statue to feel alive—like it might leap off the pedestal and start headbanging at any moment,” Maddox said.
Tonight’s farewell show, taking place inside Villa Park, marks Ozzy’s final live performance and the first Black Sabbath reunion with the full original lineup in over two decades. Billed as *Back to the Beginning*, the concert promises a career-spanning set and emotional tributes, with proceeds going to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
Despite his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s and recent spinal surgeries, Osbourne is expected to perform several numbers, aided by custom-designed staging that includes a throne-style riser allowing him to move across the stage while minimizing physical strain.
Fans from across the globe have descended on Birmingham, many camping overnight to be among the first to see the statue and attend what many are calling “the metal event of the century.”
“This isn’t just a gig. It’s a goodbye, a homecoming, and a thank you all rolled into one,” said lifelong fan Reece Dunford, 47, who flew in from Melbourne. “Ozzy helped shape generations of music. Tonight, we give him the send-off he deserves.”
With fireworks, tributes, and a thunderous final encore anticipated, one thing is certain: Birmingham will never forget the son who became a god of rock—and now stands eternal, cast in bronze, at the gates of his beloved Villa Park
