After nearly a decade off the road, Ozzfest is officially plotting a comeback.
During a sit-down conversation at the MIDEM 2026 conference in Cannes, France, Sharon Osbourne confirmed that the legendary metal festival will return in 2027 — with the blessing of her late husband, Ozzy Osbourne.
“Yes, absolutely. Yeah, we’re gonna do it,” Sharon said when asked about reviving the long-running hard rock and metal touring brand.
Ozzfest last took place in 2018 at the Forum in Los Angeles. According to Sharon, there were no plans to stop at the time — but Ozzy’s health issues forced the festival into hiatus. Before his death in July 2025 from cardiac arrest and coronary artery disease, Ozzy reportedly encouraged her to keep the brand alive.
“He’d say, ‘Do you think Ozzfest would work without me?’” Sharon recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s a brand. It will work without you.’ And he said, ‘We should do it.’”
Launched in 1996, Ozzfest became one of the defining touring metal festivals of its era, hosting acts such as Slayer, Pantera, System of a Down, Slipknot, Tool, Megadeth, Rob Zombie, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and many more over its two-decade run.
Sharon has also indicated that the revived version could expand stylistically. While Ozzfest has traditionally centered on heavy metal and hard rock, she has suggested mixing genres in the next iteration while preserving its core identity as a platform for emerging heavy acts.
In recent interviews, Sharon has also spoken candidly about the logistical and financial challenges that contributed to the festival’s hiatus, citing escalating performance fees and industry pressures that made the model increasingly difficult to sustain.
Still, the appetite appears to be there. Ozzy delivered a final hometown performance, “Back to the Beginning,” in Birmingham, England, shortly before his passing — a farewell that reminded fans how deeply his legacy runs through heavy music.
Now, nearly 30 years after Ozzfest first hit the road, the brand looks poised to rise again.
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