The ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert film is set to arrive in cinemas worldwide next month.
The event marked the final concert from Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, and was held in July 2025 at the Villa Park stadium in the band’s hometown of Birmingham.
With a star-studded line-up boasting names like Guns N’ Roses, KoRn, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Metallica, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Anthrax, and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler the gig would go on to become the highest-grossing charity concert of all time, bringing in a huge sum of around £11million for good causes.
It saw founding members Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward perform together for the first time in two decades, and now, it is set to arrive in cinemas later this year.
With a run time of 100 minutes, and described in a press release as “a love letter to Ozzy and the pioneering sound of Black Sabbath”, the film was announced by Trafalgar Releasing last year and will be produced by Mercury Studios. It will arrive in cinemas from October 28.
Described as a “celebration of Black Sabbath’s enduring legacy”, it will feature professionally captured footage of the triumphant final show, along with personal reflections from the musicians involved, and a behind the scenes look at the day itself.
Tickets go on sale at 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm BST / 4pm CEST on Thursday September 24, and you can find out more here.
“‘Back to the Beginning’ came about because I asked Ozzy what would really make him happy,” said Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and manager who oversaw the event. “And he said the only thing that would make him happy was if he could perform again and say goodbye to his fans. That’s all he wanted to do. He wanted to say goodbye and thank you.”
The film is directed for screen by Ben Wainwright-Pearce (Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, George Michael: The Faith Tour), and the live concert was directed by Tim van Someren.
Mercury Studios co-leads, Ken Danquah and Andrea Dunn, said in a joint statement: “Ozzy Osbourne is one of the most influential figures in music history, and his final performance with Black Sabbath deserves to be seen on the biggest possible stage.”
“Last year, we brought this legendary concert to fans across the globe, offering millions the chance to be there through an unprecedented livestream. This film is the next chapter, giving fans a new way to experience that night on the big screen,” they added.
“‘Back To The Beginning’ captures the scale of a stadium performance and the intimacy of a farewell, crafted specifically for the cinema screen.”
Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing added: “Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s ‘Back to the Beginning’ concert was a landmark cultural moment. Bringing it to cinemas worldwide is an opportunity to further cement Ozzy’s legacy and impact. We are really looking forward to giving fans around the world a chance to experience this final celebration of Ozzy and Black Sabbath together on the big screen.”
Actor Jason Momoa hosted the huge event in Birmingham, and Rage Against The Machine guitarist and soloist Tom Morello served as musical director. For the four songs Sabbath played, Osbourne remained seated, and highlights of the night included a variety of supergroups formed especially for the occasion.
Yungblud, for example, appeared on the bill as part of ‘Supergroup A’ – forming a band alongside Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, II from Sleep Token on drums, and Adam Wakeman of Osbourne’s solo band – and son of rock legend Rick – on keys. They played a cover of ‘Changes’, the Sabbath ballad from their 1972 album ‘Vol. 4’, and dedicated the rendition to the late Liverpool star Diogo Jota, who tragically lost his life in a car accident in northern Spain on Thursday (July 3).
Tool’s Danny Carey, Blink-182’s Travis Barker and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith took part in a drum-off while covering Sabbath’s ‘Symptom Of The Universe’. They were also joined by Morello, bassist Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne’s solo material), and Bettencourt.
On top of that, Morello, Steven Tyler, Travis Barker and The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood came together to cover Led Zeppelin to the 41,000-strong crowd (and an additional 3million who paid for the livestream).
“It was a closure for the band and it was a good way to go out, I think,” said Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi after the event, and bassist Geezer Butler added: “To me it was like pure love. It was just a wave of love. It’s the only way I can describe it really. I mean I could feel it as if it is like tangible.”
Drummer Bill Ward added that it “felt completely at home in a place where I belong. It almost felt like I was in a dream,” while Tom Morello spoke about being the musical director for the gig, sharing: “There’s never been anything like that that’s happened in the history of rock and roll. There’s never been a precedent for a show like this… [Black Sabbath] gets to play their final show basically in the Ground Zero of where they created heavy metal.”
After the gig, Yungblud confirmed that he would be sharing his Ozzy Osbourne-approved cover of ‘Changes’ as an official single, with proceeds going to children’s charities, and both Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose and The Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan were among the many who have shared what the star-studded show meant to them too.
Earlier this month, Tony Iommi recalled his final conversation with Ozzy, which took place the night before the music icon died.
“He said to me, ‘I really feel tired and really worn out’. I said, ‘Well, you’re bound to really, it’s been a lot of stress and pressure and stuff like that’. And the next thing, the next day, [he’s] gone,” Iommi said.
Iommi opened up about how he still struggles to believe that Osbourne is no longer around, saying: “It still feels like he’s there.”
