Sharon Osbourne hopes to keep the legacy of Ozzfest alive following Ozzy Osbourne‘s passing.
“I’ve been talking to Live Nation about bringing [Ozzfest] back recently,” Sharon tells Billboard. “It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people.”
Sharon first launched Ozzfest in 1996 as a two-day festival before turning it into a full-scale touring event. It became a staple of the hard rock and metal scene, helping propel the careers of bands including Linkin Park, Slipknot and Deftones.
“We really started metal festivals in this country,” Sharon says. “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 last Ozzfest was held on New Year’s Eve 2018 in Los Angeles. It marked Ozzy’s final full-length live performance before the 2025 Back to the Beginning concert, during which he played a solo set with the reunited Black Sabbath. Ozzy died just over two weeks later on July 22.
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