Ozzfest is set to make a comeback in 2027, with organizers confirming the legendary metal festival will “absolutely” return, despite Ozzy Osbourne being unable to perform this time.
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Sharon Osbourne has confirmed that the popular touring metal festival Ozzfest will return nine years after its most recent edition.
Sharon Osbourne has confirmed that the iconic Ozzfest will return in 2027. The traveling heavy metal festival, which she co-founded and helped manage alongside her late husband, Ozzy Osbourne, last took place in 2018 as a one-day event at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
In a new interview with RIFFX, Sharon said, “Yes, absolutely. We’re gonna do it.” She explained that the 2018 edition was held just a month before Ozzy fell ill with a staph infection, and although there were no plans to end the festival, his health prevented it from continuing. “Ozzy and I would talk about it, and he’d ask, ‘Do you think Ozzfest would work without me?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it’s a brand. It will work without you,’” she recalled.
Earlier this year, Sharon told Billboard she had been in discussions with Live Nation about reviving Ozzfest, hinting that the festival’s future lineup would expand beyond its usual focus on rock and metal. “Ozzy was passionate about giving young talent a platform in front of large audiences,” she said. “We really started metal festivals in this country. Others tried to replicate it, but ours had the spirit of nurturing new talent—it was like summer camp for kids.”
Ozzfest began in 1996 after Lollapalooza declined to include Ozzy Osbourne in their lineup. The inaugural tour included two dates in Phoenix, Arizona, and San Bernardino, California, with Ozzy headlining alongside Slayer, Danzig, Biohazard, and Sepultura.
In the late ’90s, Ozzfest gained fame for promoting emerging acts, including Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, and System of a Down, often around the release of their debut albums. Over the years, the festival expanded internationally, with editions in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and Japan, before concluding with a single show in Inglewood in 2018.
Sharon explained on The Osbournes podcast in 2023 that Ozzfest was discontinued due to financial challenges and management disputes. “All the bands were friends, but the managers were greedy. They thought we were making billions, but we weren’t. We made a profit, but it wasn’t enough to continue,” she said. She later added that the festival could return with both major headliners and smaller “baby stages” to showcase up-and-coming bands—the concept that made Ozzfest unique.
Ozzy Osbourne passed away last year at 76, just 17 days after performing his retirement show, Back To The Beginning, in Birmingham. The festival-style event featured acts such as Metallica, Anthrax, Lamb of God, and Gojira, with Ozzy performing both solo and with Black Sabbath. Proceeds from the show were donated to local charities.