BLACK SABBATH’s Final Show Estimated To Have Raised $45.5 Million

According to a new report from BBC News, Black Sabbath‘s farewell concert, Back To The Beginning, generated a total of £33.8 million (approximately $45.5 million). The figures, compiled by researchers at the University of Birmingham, show that £27.6 million (about $37 million) of that total was retained within the West Midlands region, directly benefiting Birmingham and its surrounding boroughs.

Dr. Matt Lyons, who conducted the analysis, explained the motivation behind the study: “As regional economists from the University of Birmingham, we thought we would do our bit to honor Ozzy‘s legacy by estimating the economic impact of his last gig. The impact of the Prince Of Darkness obviously goes far beyond the financial impact his gigs and TV shows have netted. Ozzy is a global legend, and his gift of incredible music, and now his final economic impact, will go on to benefit his home city far into the future.”

Held at Villa Park in Birmingham, the July concert drew 42,000 ticket buyers, with roughly 20 percent traveling from outside the UK. Ticket prices ranged from £197.50 to £834, reflecting the magnitude of the once-in-a-lifetime event. The farewell was not just a celebration of the legacy of Black Sabbath but also a gathering of the wider heavy music community, with performances from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, and Tool, alongside a solo appearance from Ozzy himself.

Despite the University’s figures, confusion has surrounded the true financial scope of the event. Initial reports suggested staggering sums, with Billboard and The Guardian estimating nearly $190 million raised and a pay-per-view audience of nearly six million, generating approximately $150 million in streaming revenue. Rumors even circulated that this amount would be donated to charities including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Acorn Children’s Hospice, and Cure Parkinson’s.

However, Sharon Osbourne moved quickly to temper those claims. In a July 17 interview with Pollstar, just five days before Ozzy‘s death, she dismissed such figures as “ridiculous.” “One of the things that’s frightening me is all this false press about [how], we’ve made $140 million and all of this, and I’m like, God, I wish we could have, for one gig,” she said. “It’s just ridiculous, the different stories. I went on the internet the next morning and it was like, $140 million, $160 million. And I’m like, where does this stuff come from?”

Sharon clarified that it would take weeks to determine the actual charitable totals, given expenses for performers and production. She added, “It’s the Children’s Hospital, a children’s hospice, and Parkinson’s research. Everybody thinks that they’re going to cure everything with this much money, but it’s not the real world.”

Regardless of the numbers, Sharon described the night as a landmark moment: “It was a phenomenal event. It was the first time, I think, that anybody’s gone into retirement and done it, where the show is streamed and it goes to charity. So it’s the first time anybody has said goodnight like that. It’s the perfect way, when you’ve had such a long career, to end it. I never wanted Ozzy to just disappear without some big event.”

Billboard later reported that beyond the headline figures, the farewell also inspired additional charity initiatives. Each of the designated organizations raised tens of thousands of pounds through raffles, auctions of artwork and photographs donated by Sabbath, and direct fan contributions during the livestream.

While the financial legacy of Back To The Beginning continues to be clarified, what remains certain is its cultural weight. The show represented not only a final bow for one of heavy metal’s defining figures but also a historic moment for Birmingham – a city forever tied to the music that Ozzy and Black Sabbath gave to the world.