Black Sabbath duo to attend Birmingham bridge celebration

Black Sabbath (Image credit: Chris Walter/WireImage - Getty)

Earlier this year, it was announced that a steel bench dedicated to Black Sabbath would be unveiled in their home town of Birmingham.

It was introduced back in February, with Tony Iommi attending the ceremony, while plans were put in place to name the the bridge the bench will sit on after the rock icons.

It’s now been revealed that a ceremony to name the Black Sabbath Bridge will take place on the canal crossing on Broad Street at 3pm on June 26 – and both Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler will attend the event.

The pair will arrive at the scene on a narrowboat and officially unveil the sign below the bridge, while tribute band Sabbra Cadabra will provide the musical entertainment on the day.

The decision to renamed the bridge is thanks to a partnership between Westside Business Improvement District (BID), the Canal And River Trust charity and Birmingham City Council.

Iommi says: “The bridge name and commemorative bench are both terrific and we’re thrilled that everyone can now enjoy what has become a special location for Black Sabbath history.”

Butler adds: “I can’t wait for what’s going to be such a memorable event, and one where I can once again thank the loyalty of our great fans.”

General manager of Westside BID Mike Olley says: “It’s going to be a wonderful event, and there is plenty of space on the canal footpaths, nearby bars and the bridge itself for all the Black Sabbath fans we are expecting to come to watch.”

Meanwhile, Birmingham’s Black Sabbath 50 Years exhibition is set to open its doors later this month. The event has been brought together by Home Of Metal in conjunction with Birmingham's Museums Trust and has been organised in celebration of the band’s 50th anniversary.

It’ll run from June 26 until September 29 at the city’s Museum & Art Gallery.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.