Tony Iommi has opened up about the emotional experience of watching footage from Black Sabbath’s final performance, admitting that the upcoming concert film is still difficult for him to sit through following the death of his longtime bandmate Ozzy Osbourne.
The legendary guitarist, 78, spoke about the film as anticipation builds for Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning, which documents the extraordinary farewell concert held at Birmingham’s Villa Park on July 5, 2025.
For Iommi, however, watching the footage is far more complicated than simply revisiting a historic night in rock music.
“Yeah, I do yeah. I mean I’ve watched the footage and it’s emotional,” Iommi said when asked about the film’s release. He revealed that he has watched the footage only twice so far.
“I find it difficult to watch it, to be honest, because obviously our relationship with each other. But I’m sure people will like it,” he added.
The concert has taken on an entirely different meaning since Ozzy died just 17 days later, at the age of 76. What was originally intended to be a spectacular farewell to his performing career ultimately became his final performance.
The Birmingham event was particularly significant because it reunited the original Black Sabbath lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — onstage for the first time in more than two decades.
Ozzy also performed a solo set during the historic night before joining his Black Sabbath bandmates for one final appearance together. The set included some of the group’s most recognizable songs, including “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.”
The concert attracted enormous worldwide attention, with more than three million ticket requests reportedly made for approximately 44,000 available places. The event also featured performances from major names across the rock and metal world, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Pantera, Slayer, Tool, Gojira and many others.
Now, the footage is being transformed into a feature film that will allow audiences to experience the farewell night on the big screen. The film is scheduled for a limited theatrical release worldwide on October 28, 2026.
For Iommi, the project represents both a celebration and a painful reminder.
Since Ozzy’s death, the guitarist has admitted that life has been “up and down.” Rather than dwelling on the loss, he said he has tried to keep himself busy, continuing to work on music and other projects.
The guitarist also recently received an MBE at Windsor Castle for his services to music and charity. Speaking about the honour, Iommi said it was particularly special because it came from his home country. He added that he believed Ozzy “would have been pleased” to see him receive it.
More than half a century after Black Sabbath helped shape heavy metal, Iommi is now preparing to watch one final chapter of that extraordinary story reach cinemas.
For audiences, the film will be a chance to witness Ozzy performing one last time.
For Iommi, it is something much more personal — a final glimpse of a lifelong friend and musical partner standing beside him onstage, just weeks before their story changed forever.
