Sharon Osbourne is in talks to revive Ozzfest in honour of late husband Ozzy Osbourne in 2027.
The long-running metal festival last took place as a standalone event in 2018, with a one-off New Year’s Eve edition in 2019, but Sharon believes the appetite for a full-scale return has only grown. Sharon says early conversations have already begun with promoters Live Nation about bringing the travelling metal institution back to life — and this time, she wants it to be bigger, broader, and more global.
She told Billboard: “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.”
Sharon is keen to evolve the brand for a new generation, hinting at a more eclectic lineup that blends metal with adjacent genres to reflect how fans listen to music today.
The music manager later admitted: “I’d like to mix up the genres.”
If plans move forward, Ozzfest would once again tour internationally, echoing its late-’90s and early-2000s heyday when it became a rite of passage for rising bands and a powerhouse showcase for established acts.
Speaking on The Osbournes Podcast previously, Ozzy – who passed away in July 2025 at the age of 76 – asked if it could return, to which his spouse said: “Yeah, sure. Of course.”
Their daughter, Kelly, pointed out that artists’ managers have to start being “realistic” with booking fees.
Sharon replied: “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 trillions they think we’ve got to put on the festival?”
Ozzfest was created by Ozzy and Sharon, who was the Black Sabbath frontman’s manager, back in 1996 as a two-day festival.
The following year marked the start of the touring dates, although by the time the 2018 edition rolled round, it was just one night at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Ozzy was on the line-up alongside the likes of Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Korn’s Jonathan Davis.
