EXCLUSIVE: Sharon Osbourne Set to Fulfill Late Husband Ozzy's Final Wish With Tribute That Will Move Fans to Tears
Sharon confirmed the return of Ozzfest to honor Ozzy’s final wish before his passing last July.
March 4 2026, Updated 5:15 p.m. ET
Sharon Osbourne has confirmed Ozzfest is "absolutely" in the works for next year – weeks after RadarOnline.com revealed the festival would be resurrected as a tribute to her late Black Sabbath frontman husband Ozzy Osbourne.
We can also reveal Sharon, 73, is intent on bringing back the event after Ozzy gave his blessing for the event to continue on in his memory before his death last July aged 76, making it one of his last wishes.
Sharon Osbourne confirmed that Ozzfest is absolutely in the works for a 2027 return.
Sharon has now said about the festival: "Yeah, we're gonna do it."
She added: "The last one we did was 2018. It was just a month before Ozzy got sick, and that was at the Forum in L.A. And there (were) no plans to stop it.
"We were still gonna do it, but Ozzy couldn't. And Ozzy and I would talk about it, and he'd say, 'Do you think Ozzfest would work without me?' "And I'm, like, 'Yeah, it's a brand. It will work without you.' "And he said, 'We should do it.'"
Ozzfest Revival Expected in 2027 as Tribute to Ozzy
Ozzy Osbourne gave his blessing for the event to continue shortly before his death.
Sources told us the festival revival is slated for 2027, and will serve as a tribute to Ozzy – known to millions as the Prince of Darkness – and mark a grand return of the event that defined an era of metal music.
Ozzfest last ran as a full tour in 2018 and briefly resurfaced for a New Year's Eve edition in 2019. Sharon previously said discussions were underway with Live Nation to stage a modernized version of the festival across multiple continents.
"It was something Ozzy was very passionate about – giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people," she said. "We really started metal festivals in this country. It was (replicated but) never done with the spirit of what ours was, because ours was a place for new talent. It was like summer camp for kids."
The official Ozzfest account has also fueled speculation the event will be mounted next year. It recently shared a post on Instagram reading: "Will Ozzfest return in 2027??"
The 73-year-old manager resurrected the festival as a global homage to her late husband.
Sources close to the Osbourne family told us the revival would stand as a "global homage" to Ozzy, who died in July 2025 at the age of 76 after a brutal battle with Parkinson's disease.
"This won't just be a comeback tour," one industry insider said. "It'll be a celebration of Ozzy's legacy – from the early Sabbath years right through to his final solo shows. The family wants it to feel like a living memorial, full of the artists he inspired."
Sharon, who managed her husband's career for decades, has hinted the new Ozzfest will feature a wider musical mix to reflect changing times.
She added: "I'd like to mix up the genres."
Another source close to the Osbourne estate said: "Sharon is savvy, and knows today's young fans stream playlists that blend metal with hip-hop and electronic sounds. The updated Ozzfest is expected to tap into that energy – still loud and proud, but far more inclusive."
Legacy of the Loudest Festival in History
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The festival defined an entire era of metal music for millions of fans worldwide.
On The Osbournes Podcast prior to Ozzy's death, he and Sharon joked about whether the festival could ever make a comeback. When Ozzy asked if it might return, Sharon replied: "Yeah, sure. Of course."
Their daughter Kelly Osbourne chimed in that managers would need to be more "realistic" about inflated artist fees, to which Sharon retorted: "Why is it when it comes to us that everybody thinks that we are trillionaires, and so that every manager who wants their band on our festival wants one of the trillions they think we've got to put on the festival?"
The first Ozzfest launched in 1996 as a two-day event before expanding into a full touring festival across North America and beyond. At its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it became a proving ground for bands such as Slipknot, System of a Down, and Disturbed.
Its final major edition in 2018 featured Ozzy himself alongside Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Korn's Jonathan Davis.
Friends of the family say the return of Ozzfest – and an accompanying memorial segment planned at each event – will give fans a chance to say their goodbyes in true metal fashion.
One source said: "Ozzy always said music was his church. This revival will be his cathedral."
