One year after Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath stood together onstage for their historic farewell, Metallica made sure the moment would not simply fade into memory.
On July 5, 2026, Metallica closed out the European leg of their M72 World Tour in London — exactly one year after the legendary Back to the Beginning celebration in Birmingham. That 2025 event had brought together Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for what became Black Sabbath’s final performance together. Ozzy would pass away just 17 days later, on July 22, 2025, at age 76.
For Metallica, the anniversary carried a weight that was impossible to ignore.
A tribute born from respect
During Metallica’s traditional “Kirk and Rob Doodle” segment, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo took a moment to honor the musical heroes who had helped shape their own journey.
Before the music began, Trujillo held up a fan-made sign that simply read:
“Do It For Ozzy.”
He explained to the London crowd that exactly one year earlier, Back to the Beginning had taken place, bringing Black Sabbath and Ozzy together for an extraordinary final celebration.
Then came the tribute.
Hammett and Trujillo performed a mashup featuring Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral” alongside the Sex Pistols’ “Holiday in the Sun.” It was a fitting choice for a band whose own musical history is deeply connected to both heavy metal and punk.
But beneath the heavy riffs and familiar Metallica energy was something much more emotional.
It was a moment of remembrance.
Ozzy’s influence on Metallica
Metallica have never hidden the enormous influence Black Sabbath had on them.
The connection goes far beyond simply covering Sabbath songs. Black Sabbath helped establish the musical language that would eventually become heavy metal, and Metallica became one of the bands that carried that sound into a new generation.
Metallica themselves reflected on this after Back to the Beginning, describing the 2025 event as an opportunity to pay homage and express gratitude for the immeasurable influence Black Sabbath and Ozzy had on their lives and careers.
That made the anniversary tribute especially meaningful.
A year earlier, Metallica had been part of Ozzy’s farewell celebration in Birmingham. A year later, they were standing on a London stage remembering the man whose music had helped inspire generations of musicians.
The final Black Sabbath goodbye
The significance of Back to the Beginning only became clearer after Ozzy’s death.
The July 5, 2025 concert was originally presented as a celebration of Black Sabbath and Ozzy’s final live performances. The original Sabbath lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — reunited onstage in Birmingham for the first time in two decades.
Ozzy also performed a short solo set before joining his Black Sabbath bandmates.
The event brought together an extraordinary collection of musicians who had been influenced by Sabbath, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera and many others.
At the time, nobody could have known just how final the evening would become.
Seventeen days later, Ozzy was dead.
That knowledge has transformed the concert from a farewell show into something much more profound — a final chapter in the story of one of rock music’s most influential figures.
“We love you and we miss you, brother”
That sentiment was at the heart of Metallica’s tribute.
During the anniversary show, Trujillo made the message personal, telling the crowd that Ozzy was loved and missed. Metallica also met with Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne around the London performance, further connecting the anniversary celebration to Ozzy’s family.
For fans, seeing Metallica continue to celebrate Ozzy one year later offered another reminder of just how far his influence reached.
Ozzy wasn’t only important to Black Sabbath.
He wasn’t only important to heavy metal.
His music became part of the foundation upon which countless artists built their own careers.
A legacy that refuses to disappear
There is something powerful about musicians honoring the people who inspired them.
Ozzy spent decades influencing artists who eventually became legends themselves. Now those artists are carrying his music forward.
Metallica’s anniversary tribute was not an attempt to recreate Ozzy.
It didn’t need to be.
Instead, it was a simple acknowledgment: the music Ozzy helped create still matters.
One year after the final Black Sabbath performance, the riffs were still being played. The songs were still being heard. The memories were still being shared.
And somewhere between the roar of the London crowd and the unmistakable sound of a Black Sabbath classic, Ozzy Osbourne’s presence was felt again.
The Prince of Darkness may be gone, but the sound he helped unleash on the world is nowhere near finished.
Ozzy’s final show may have been one year ago — but his legacy is still being played at full volume. 🖤
