Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s “Back to the Beginning” concert has made music history. The July 5 show raised roughly $190 million for charity, making it the most successful benefit concert since George Harrison and Ravi Shankar’s 1971 Concert for Bangladesh.
The heavy metal event, held at Villa Park in Birmingham, was billed as Osbourne’s final stage performance. Tom Morello, the concert’s musical director, shared the donation total on Instagram. Earlier, he reported $140 million raised, but the updated figure shows an even bigger impact. Event promoters have not clarified the discrepancy.
More than 40,000 fans attended in person, while 5.8 million streamed the show online. Proceeds will be split between Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Acorn Children’s Hospice, and Cure Parkinson’s, which funds research for the disease Ozzy Osbourne has battled since 2019. Exact donation amounts for each charity remain pending.
Charities involved also raised tens of thousands in extra donations. They raffled concert tickets, auctioned band photographs and artwork, and accepted contributions from fans entering the venue. This added a meaningful boost to the night’s totals.
Billboard reports that while charity concert figures are often self-reported by promoters, this event has surpassed donations from many of history’s largest benefit shows. Official expense deductions have not been disclosed, as promoters are not required to publish them.
“Back to the Beginning” cemented its legacy not only as Ozzy’s final bow but also as a cultural milestone in music philanthropy.
