Sharon Osbourne has officially confirmed the highly anticipated return of Ozzfest, the iconic heavy metal festival, on a recent episode of The Osbournes podcast. Following earlier hints at the 2026 MIDEM conference in Cannes, France, where she stated "yes, absolutely. Yeah, we’re gonna do it," Sharon provided the first concrete details regarding the festival's revival, which has been on hiatus since 2018.

The plan is to relaunch Ozzfest in 2027, commencing with a two-day event at Villa Park in Birmingham, U.K. This venue, the home grounds of the Aston Villa Football Club, holds special significance as it is Ozzy Osbourne's hometown and was also the site of his significant 'Back to the Beginning' performance last July. Sharon expressed the intention to bring the festival to America after its U.K. debut, actively inviting Ozzfest fans to provide input on desired locations and bands for this new iteration.

In alignment with Ozzy Osbourne's long-standing commitment to showcasing emerging talent, Sharon emphasized that the Ozzfest team is currently scouting new, up-and-coming bands. As Jack Osbourne reiterated, "that’s what Ozzfest was all about. That second stage was the incubator, where so many guys came out of," highlighting the festival's legacy as a platform for new artists. Sharon also reminisced about the original Ozzfest, which ran almost annually from 1996 to 2018, describing it as "more fun" and like "summer camp" where there was no jockeying for position or sense of superiority among performers, a spirit she aims to revive.

While the 2027 return will likely be limited to two shows at Aston Villa and two in North America, the ambition is to resume touring in 2028, mirroring the festival's original format. Jack expressed confidence, stating, "Why not? We did it better than anyone."

Although no lineups have been announced yet, Sharon has expressed a desire to see Judas Priest's Rob Halford participate. Halford famously missed Ozzy's 'Back to the Beginning' performance due to a prior commitment with the Scorpions, celebrating their 60th anniversary in Hanover, Germany. He had conveyed being "absolutely gutted" to miss the July 5 gig at Villa Park, which featured solo and Black Sabbath sets from Ozzy, alongside performances from legendary bands like Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Pantera, and Lamb of God.

Sharon, aged 73, has also confirmed that she is in discussions with Live Nation regarding the Ozzfest return. She previously told Billboard that Ozzy was very passionate about giving young talent a stage, noting that Ozzfest pioneered metal festivals in the country and was unique in its spirit as a place for new talent and a "summer camp for kids." The excitement for the festival's comeback was further amplified on Tuesday (March 3) when the official Ozzfest X account posted a graphic proclaiming, "Ozzfest will return … "