Official BLACK SABBATH “classical” tour will feature state-of-the-art graphics and be performed by local orchestras
04-03-2026
During a February 6 appearance at MIDEM 2026 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, Sharon Osbourne and Andy Copping, the promoter for Live Nation U.K. and the creative force behind the U.K.’s Download festival, spoke about the upcoming classical tour of BLACK SABBATH‘s catalog, performed by local orchestras and set to state-of-the-art visuals. Regarding how the idea for the tour came about, the British TV personality, music manager and the widow of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne said: “ Ozzy‘s keyboard player, Adam Wakeman, his father’s (YES keyboard legend) Rick Wakeman. And, actually, he came up with the idea of doing a classical version of SABBATH. And then we said, ‘Great.’ He’s converted the music into classical music, and then I said, ‘We need guitar players to come in at some point. You need that.’ So we’re gonna bring in about four guitar players to play together. And so people see the original version and the classical in one night. And we’re gonna do it with state-of-the-art graphics and state-of-the-art sound system, go to major cities, pick up the local philharmonic.”
Copping chimed in: “We’re thinking about launching it in the U.K., hopefully at the Royal Albert Hall. And that will be, obviously, a great springboard for having it as a touring entity. It’s actually very, very exciting.”
He continued: “It’s interesting. People’s first thoughts are, ‘BLACK SABBATH and orchestra — is that gonna work?’ But they said that about (Birmingham Royal Ballet‘s ‘Black Sabbath – The Ballet’). I mean, ballet and BLACK SABBATH music — is that gonna work? I went to the show, the ballet show. It’s unbelievable how it’s made that transition. I didn’t know what I was gonna see when I got there, but there’s literally ballet going on and there’s this thunderous soundtrack, the BLACK SABBATH music. And there’s interviews with the band going on in the background. It’s very hard to explain, but if you get the opportunity to see that, that is well worth going to see. And the orchestral side will be another step further on from that. It’s very, very exciting.”
Rick Wakeman worked with BLACK SABBATH in the 1970s, appearing on the band’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” album, while he was recording “Tales From Topographic Oceans” with YES. Both LPs were recorded at Morgan Studios in Willesden Green in 1973. Wakeman appeared on the SABBATH track “Sabbra Cadabra”. Rick also worked with Ozzy on the singer’s 1995 solo album “Ozzmosis” and on Wakeman‘s 1999 album “Return To The Centre Of The Earth”.
The aforementioned “Black Sabbath – The Ballet” most recently returned with a homecoming at Birmingham Hippodrome from September 18, 2025 to September 27, 2025 following dates in Europe and the USA. The production then visited Manchester’s The Lowry, Salford for the first time (October 8-11) before returning to Theatre Royal Plymouth (October 16-18),Sadler’s Wells, London (October 22-25) and finishing with a Scottish premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre (October 30 – November 1).
Following a complete sell-out premiere season in autumn 2023, bringing heavy metal fans to ballet for the first time, the 2025 tour incorporated brand-new audio interviews with BLACK SABBATH bandmembers, voices such as Sharon Osbourne and fans from across the globe. The sound design was also revised, sharpened and turned up to full volume for this electric night of dance and rock that audiences had never experienced before.
Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement award and an all-star tribute performance at the 2026 BRIT Awards on Saturday night, February 28 in Manchester, England.
After a video tribute, country music icon Dolly Parton appeared via video from Nashville to honor Ozzy, saying: “Ozzy Osbourne dedicated his entire life to music and his legacy has left a permanent imprint in the fabric of music lovers everywhere. Now talk about stealing the show.”
Dolly went on to highlight the heavy metal legend for his over-the-top performance style, adding: “Ozzy knew how to get your attention with his love of theatrics, his musical gifts — he could turn any occasion into a full-blown show. And at his very core, Ozzy Osbourne was a showman. His legacy has left a permanent imprint on music lovers everywhere.”
Dolly then introduced Sharon Osbourne, who appeared onstage with Ozzy and Sharon‘s daughter Kelly and Louis Osbourne, Ozzy‘s son from his first marriage.
“I’m honored to accept this award for my gorgeous husband,” Sharon said. “God knows I wish he was here to accept it himself… Ozzy is looking down on us right now… He rose to become one of the most recognizable and respected musicians. … To be honest with you, he was the most humble egomaniac you will ever meet. At the end of the day, he will always be a rock star… If Ozzy was here tonight … he would be so proud to receive this from the country that he loved.”
An all-star rock tribute performance closed the show on the night, paying homage to Ozzy, who sadly passed away last July. This performance, a special arrangement of “No More Tears” — the title track from Ozzy‘s multi-million selling 1991 album of the same name — was curated by Sharon, and boasted a phenomenal lineup of British and international musical talent, featuring musicians that played as part of Ozzy‘s band over the years: Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde; and was fronted by Robbie Williams, invited personally by Sharon to be part of this special moment, as a long-standing fan of the music, and friend of the Osbourne family.
As well as being one of the most influential music figureheads and rock icons of all time, Ozzy hosted the BRIT Awards in 2008 along with his family Sharon, Kelly and Jack.
Stacey Tang, chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards committee and co-president of RCA Records at Sony Music U.K. said: “Ozzy Osbourne has been a mighty force in modern music. Possessing an unmistakable voice and unique presence, he reshaped the sound and spirit of rock, inspiring generations of artists who followed. This Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a remarkable legacy built on originality and enduring influence, that continues to connect with fans worldwide.”
With over 100 million worldwide album sales achieved over five decades; a legendary catalogue of music including 19 studio albums and eight live albums with BLACK SABBATH and songs including “Paranoid”, “Iron Man” and “Children Of The Grave”; 13 studio albums as a solo artist with songs such as “Bark at The Moon”, “No More Tears” and “Crazy Train”; and the launch of the successful touring festival Ozzfest, Ozzy Osbourne is one of music’s most influential icons and personalities of all time, garnering international recognition across his 50-plus-year career from the worlds of music and entertainment. The many industry accolades awarded to Ozzy across his career include five Grammy awards, induction into both the UK Music Hall Of Fame and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (both with BLACK SABBATH and as a solo artist, in separate years) and the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement (with BLACK SABBATH).
Last September, Sharon Osbourne has thanked fans for their “overwhelming love and support” following the death of her husband, legendary BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne.
On Friday (September 12), Sharon took to her Instagram to write: “I’m still having trouble finding the words to express how grateful I am for the overwhelming love and support you’ve shown on social media. Your comments, posts, and tributes have brought me more comfort than you know. None of it has gone unnoticed, in fact, it’s carried me through many nights.”
Sharon‘s post included a video of her and her daughter Kelly on a recent falconry outing where they got up close and hands-on with birds of prey.
“Though I’m still finding my footing, I wanted to share some glorious creatures I had the chance to spend an afternoon with,” Sharon continued. “The connection you make with these powerful birds is built entirely on trust and confidence. They’ll choose to perch on you only if they sense you are safe and unafraid of them. It’s a bond I know all too well, and the experience was nothing short of magical.
“I love you all, and I thank you deeply for the otherworldly amount of love you continue to send my way.”
Ozzy died on July 22 of a heart attack, his death certificate revealed. The certificate filed in London also said Osbourne suffered from coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease.
A private funeral service for Ozzy was held on July 31 on the 250-acre grounds of the house the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer and his wife bought in 1993 in Buckinghamshire, England. Only 110 of the singer’s friends and family members attended the service, including his SABBATH bandmates, Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, Marilyn Manson and Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT).
The day before the private funeral, thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy. Sharon, along with their children Aimée, Kelly and Jack, joined mourners for the emotional tribute.
A little over two months ago, Ozzy reunited with the rest of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — for what was his final performance at the “Back To The Beginning” charity concert in their original hometown of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
At “Back To The Beginning”, Ozzy played a five-song set with his solo band — consisting of guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos — before being joined by Iommi, Butler and Ward for four classic SABBATH songs: “War Pigs”, “Iron Man”, “N.I.B.” and “Paranoid”.
Ozzy‘s solo set consisted of four songs from Osbourne‘s 1980 solo debut album “Blizzard Of Ozz” — “I Don’t Know”, “Mr. Crowley”, “Suicide Solution” and “Crazy Train” — along with his 1991 “No More Tears” ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home”.
The 76-year-old heavy metal singer sang while seated on a black throne and appeared overcome with emotion at times. “You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he told the crowd.
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