Black Sabbath fans gobsmacked at ‘insane’ ticket prices for Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show

Ozzy Osbourne is performing his farewell show with the band’s original lineup, backed by bands including Metallica, Slayer and Lamb of God. Black Sabbath fans are complaining about what many have branded “ridiculous” prices to see the band’s farewell show, as pre-sale ticket prices ranged between £197.50 to as much as £834 when they went on sale on Tuesday morning. On social media, outraged fans shared screenshots as they attempted to buy tickets for the metal band’s massive concert in Birmingham this summer, which will mark frontman Ozzy Osbourne’s final ever gig.

The show is being held at Villa Park on 5 July in the rocker’s hometown, with the original Black Sabbath lineup – Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – playing together for the first time in 20 years. The all-day event will also include performances from legendary metal acts including Metallica, Slayer, Gojira, Alice in Chains and and Lamb of God, as well as a “supergroup” performance comprising members of Limp Bizkit, Van Halen, The Smashing Pumpkins and Faith No More.

All profits from the event will be shared equally between three different charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. As tickets went on sale on Tuesday (11 February), fans complained of lengthy queue waits on Ticketmaster along with their shock as they discovered how much tickets cost. “I know it’s for charity but come on now,” one disgruntled fan wrote, sharing a screenshot of a seated ticket priced at £487.50.

“I don’t wanna hear s*** when the pop girlies charge £100 for a ticket,” another music fan said. “Black Sabbath charging £420 for nosebleeds that aren’t VIP is actually f***ing insane.”. “Great day to not be trying to get Black Sabbath tickets bc what the f*** are those prices,” another wrote on X/Twitter. One fan claimed to have been asked for £2,932.50 for one ticket in the Gold Circle with an “Ultimate Side of Stage Experience”.

“I’d expect to be rocking out on stage with Black Sabbath for the price of these tickets,” he wrote. Other fans said they had been successful in buying tickets and said they believed it was worth the price. “I got accessible tickets for Black Sabbath, I can't believe it,” one fan said. “The ticket gods were shining on me today, 892 in the queue. “I wasn't sure about the price, £412.50 is a bit steep but I was watching them disappear before my eyes and I just couldn't miss out. Can't wait till July.”.

The Independent has contacted Black Sabbath’s representative and Ticketmaster for comment. Announcing his farewell show earlier this month, Osbourne said he felt “blessed” to be able to say farewell with the help of “people whom I love”. “It’s my time to go Back to the Beginning….time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” he said. “Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”.

Music director Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine fame, said the concert would be the “greatest heavy metal show ever”. Ticket prices for concerts have been a sore subject in recent months, with controversy surrounding tours for major acts such as Taylor Swift and Oasis. In September last year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over its handling of the Oasis ticket sale, which saw fans hit by alleged “dynamic pricing”.

Last week, the company denied that it employed the practice as its representatives were quizzed by MPs, insisting that the prices were set in advance by the event organiser and did not change during the buying process. There was further heartache for Oasis fans over the weekend after Ticketmaster cancelled their tickets, apparently under the impression that they were bots. Several ticket holders received emails from the company that said bots were identified in the purchase of their tickets for the band’s tour this year and urged them to fill out a form to resolve the issue.