Thousands of fans gathered in Birmingham on Tuesday, July 30, to pay their final respects to Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, during a public funeral procession through his home city. The procession took place eight days after Osbourne’s death, and brought together a wave of mourning fans, friends, and family members for a historic farewell.
The hearse carrying Osbourne’s coffin departed from Aston, the area where he was born and passed his childhood home. The hearse then passed then Villa Park – where Osbourne performed his farewell concert just weeks earlier during Black Sabbath’s final ‘Back To The Beginning’ show.
From there, the cortege continued along Broad street, crossed the ‘Black Sabbath Bridge’ and made its way through central Birmingham en route to a private funeral service held later in the afternoon. The route was lined with fans waving banners, holding photographs, and chanting lyrics from Black Sabbath’s iconic discography.
The public procession was accompanied by a brass band of local musicians, Boston Brass, who performed instrumental renditions of Osbourne’s best-known tracks, including ‘Iron Man’, ‘Paranoid’, and ‘Crazy Train’. Many fans in the crowd joined in, creating a powerful atmosphere of grief and celebration.
During the procession, the Osbourne family paused at ‘Black Sabbath Bridge’ the renamed section of the city that commemorates the band’s contribution to global music history. Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife of more than 40 years, was seen visibly emotional, wearing her husband’s wedding ring on a chain around her neck. She was accompanied by their children Jack, Kelly, and Aimee, each of whom laid flowers at the growing fan memorial and took time to read handwritten notes from supporters around the world.
Sharon Osbourne cries and makes sign to cheering crowd
Ozzy Osbourne’s family led tributes to the rock star at his funeral procession this afternoon pic.twitter.com/7iVd4tMtZj
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 30, 2025
The city of Birmingham has been transformed into a living tribute to the singer in recent days. New murals honouring Osbourne have appeared in areas such as Granville Street, Navigation Street and Digbeth. A new street sign on Broad Street reads simply: ‘Forever Ozzy. Birmingham will always love you’.
In attendance was Councillor Zafar Iqbal, who spoke to The Independent about the procession. “It was very emotional and a great turnout, with thousands of fans lining the streets,” he said. “I think we should be a really proud city. I’m proud that we delivered one of the best send-offs I have seen in my time.”
He added: “The funeral procession was well organised, we looked after all the fans and I think it was a fitting tribute to a legend who was a Brummie through and through, he added. “Like his final gig, he came back home and we were proud to have him. I have been here since 7am talking to fans and the emotions were really high, people just loved Ozzy and you could really feel that when you were there.”
Osbourne’s death on July 22 followed years of ongoing health issues, including spinal damage, surgeries, and his public battle with Parkinson’s disease. His final public appearance took place on July 5, when he performed one last time at the ‘Back To The Beginning’ concert – an emotional send-off to fans and his musical legacy.
Tributes to Osbourne have poured in from across the music industry, with artists across the globe acknowledging his influence and cultural legacy. Our original coverage of this can be read here.
For more on the life and impact of Ozzy Osbourne, MXDWN’s original coverage of his death can be read here.
