Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral procession to pass through Birmingham
The procession for the late heavy metal icon will travel past the Black Sabbath Bridge in his hometown tomorrow afternoon
The funeral procession for the late Ozzy Osbourne will travel through the centre of his hometown of Birmingham tomorrow (30 July).
The legendary Black Sabbath singer died “surrounded by love” aged 76, two weeks after he made his final live performance, dubbed Back to the Beginning, at Birmingham’s Villa Park.
Now, it has been confirmed that his funeral will include a procession through the streets of Birmingham at 1pm BST on Wednesday, travelling down Broad Street and ending at the Black Sabbath Bridge in the city centre.
Lord Mayor of the city, Zafar Iqbal, said: “It was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans.”
The local brass band Bostin Brass will provide music for the procession, with The Guardian reporting that members of Black Sabbath and Yungblud will be among those taking roles in the funeral. A private family funeral will take place later the same day, while fans around the world will be able to livestream the public procession.
In a statement upon Ozzy’s death, his family said: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
In 2023, Osbourne appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone UK and won The Icon Award at the Rolling Stone UK Awards. In the cover feature, he said: “I do count my lucky stars. I don’t know why I’m still here and I do sometimes think I’m on borrowed time. I said to Sharon the other day, ‘What a great fucking life we’ve had and what a great fucking experience.’”