On July 22, 2025, the music industry lost an icon when Ozzy Osbourne sadly passed away at 76 years old. Known for his vibrant personality and love for the rock and roll lifestyle, the heavy metal legend performed one last time with Black Sabbath at the Back to the Beginning Concert just a few weeks prior to his death. With countless tributes pouring in and the 2026 Grammy Awards honoring him with a special performance, it appears that Sharon Osbourne hoped to keep her husband’s memory alive by reviving Ozzfest.
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During the late 1990s, Sharon wanted to get Ozzy on the festival circuit when she reached out to Lollapalooza. Shockingly, the festival rejected the suggestion of having the Prince of Darkness take the stage. Not letting the “no” deter her, Sharon decided to simply create her own festival. And in 1996, the first Ozzfest was held in Arizona and California.
While the Ozzfest stage has been vacant for years, Sharon showed interest in bringing the festival back. Speaking with Billboard, she claimed, “I’ve been talking to Live Nation about bringing [Ozzfest] back recently. It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people. 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.”
[RELATED: 2026 Grammys In Memoriam to Honor D’Angelo, Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Flank & More]
Sharon Osbourne Explains Why Ozzfest Stopped
As Sharon mentioned, Ozzfest wasn’t focused on highlighting established groups but those who were trying to break into the industry. With Sharon wanting to bring the festival back and even add some new genres, she hoped it could happen as early as 2027.
Although looking ahead to the future, Sharon never forgot the struggles Ozzfest suffered over the years. And apparently, it all came from the Osbourne name. “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 f**king trillions they think we’ve got to put on the festival?”
At the time of his death, Ozzy was estimated to have a net worth of around $220 million. With the Osbourne family not having the trillions of dollars artists wanted, the festival eventually fizzled. “Managers and agents wanted more and more and more, and it just wasn’t cost effective anymore. We stopped, because it just wasn’t cost effective.”
Still, Sharon’s renewed push to bring Ozzfest back isn’t just about nostalgia or profits – it’s about honoring Ozzy’s legacy of lifting up the next generation of rock and metal talent.
(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)
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