Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning extravaganza is coming out in cinemas

News
By ( Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Louder ) published

Ozzy Osbourne’s blockbuster farewell will be turned into a concert film and hit theatre screens in 2026

Ozzy Osbourne smiling while sat in a black throne on stage
(Image credit: Ross Halfin)

Footage of Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning event will be released in cinemas as a concert film next year.

Portions of the all-day extravaganza, which served as vocalist Ozzy Osbourne’s retirement show and featured the final live performance from Sabbath’s founding lineup, are set to be compiled into a 100-minute film by production company Mercury Studios.

It’s also been announced that the concert film, entitled Back To The Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow, will get a home media release later in 2026.

As well as a solo set from Ozzy and a climactic performance from the original Sabbath, Back To The Beginning brought a who’s who of rock and metal to Villa Park in Birmingham, with many acts appearing onstage and paying tribute to the Prince Of Darkness and his band. They included Metallica, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Anthrax, Gojira and more. Famed actor Jason Momoa compered and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello served as musical director.

This morning (July 18), UK rock musician Yungblud released the version of Sabbath’s 1972 track Changes that he performed at Back To The Beginning to streaming services. A music video for the performance will drop at 5pm UK time today and offer a taste of the Back To The Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow film.

Ozzy retired from touring in 2023, a result of the physical effects of Parkinson’s disease and numerous surgeries. However, talk of the original Sabbath members – Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – reuniting started in 2024. Ozzy said on his podcast that the band’s original farewell in 2017 felt incomplete, as Ward had been absent from the lineup since 2012.

Back To The Beginning marked the first time the four men graced the stage together since 2005. The all-dayer was a charity event, with all proceeds going to Birmingham causes, and Morello estimates that it will raise north of $190 million overall.

Though Sabbath have played their last show together, the members are still active individually. Ozzy has been open about his interest in making another solo album, the follow-up to 2022’s Patient Number 9, and Iommi is working on his own album. Ward is working on two albums, which will follow his 2015 solo effort Accountable Beasts, and Butler is “fiddling about” with new ideas.

Matt Mills
Matt Mills
Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.