Jack Osbourne has opened up about the challenges of putting together the long-awaited return of Ozzfest, admitting that curating the festival’s lineup has proved “really difficult” as he prepares to revive his father Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary metal event.
Ozzfest is set to return in 2027, with Villa Park in Birmingham confirmed as one of the locations. The venue carries particular significance for the Osbourne family because it hosted Ozzy’s final performance with Black Sabbath in July 2025, shortly before his death.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, Jack compared the process of bringing Ozzfest back to finding an old car and getting its engine running again.
He said there was already “a lot of excitement” surrounding the festival and revealed that announcements about the main headliners and additional locations were expected within the next few weeks.
But while Jack admitted that he enjoys putting the event together, he acknowledged that finding the right artists has become increasingly complicated.
One major problem is that many of the biggest rock and metal acts now have festivals of their own. That means Ozzfest has to compete for artists who may already have their own events, alongside the challenge of finding performers who are available and within the festival’s budget.
Jack also suggested that some major artists are demanding enormous fees to appear at festivals, making the process even more difficult.
Despite those obstacles, the Osbourne family appears determined to preserve the spirit of the original event.
Jack confirmed that the 2027 edition will be a one-day festival, despite earlier suggestions from his mother Sharon Osbourne that Villa Park could potentially host two days. He explained that the decision was partly about returning to Ozzfest’s traditional roots.
The comeback carries an especially emotional significance following Ozzy’s death. Ozzfest was closely associated with the Black Sabbath frontman and became one of the most influential touring festivals in heavy metal after launching in 1996.
Over the years, the event helped showcase major names across rock and metal while also providing a platform for emerging artists.
Now Jack faces the difficult task of rebuilding that identity without his father at the centre of it.
The choice of Villa Park makes the 2027 return even more poignant. It was the setting for Ozzy’s farewell performance, when he reunited with the original Black Sabbath lineup for the emotional Back to the Beginning concert.
For Jack, bringing Ozzfest back is therefore both a professional challenge and a deeply personal responsibility.
With the first major lineup announcements expected soon, fans will be watching closely to see which artists are chosen to carry the Ozzfest name into its next era.
