Ozzy Osbourne will make one final journey through his hometown of Birmingham, as fans prepare to pay their last respects during a public funeral procession.
The legendary Black Sabbath frontman passed away on July 22 at the age of 76.
Osbourne’s family confirmed his death in a statement, which read: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.” The message was signed by wife Sharon and children Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis.
Since his passing, tributes have poured in from around the world, and now fans will have a final opportunity to say goodbye as his funeral cortege makes its way down Broad Street in the heart of his hometown, Birmingham, on Wednesday (July 30) at 13:00 BST.
The hearse will pause at Black Sabbath Bridge and the commemorative bench that has become the focal point of an outpouring of grief, where thousands of fans have left flowers, messages, and tributes.
"We're going to pay our last respects and homage to one of the greatest living legends of Birmingham," said Lord Mayor Zafar Iqbal, who called Osbourne a “son of Birmingham” and credited him with putting the city - and his native Aston - “on the map," per BBC News.
The city council confirmed the procession will be accompanied by local band Bostin' Brass and that Broad Street will be closed from 07:00 BST on Wednesday, with traffic diverted for the day.
The city council said it worked “at pace” with Osbourne’s family, who covered all costs, to coordinate the event.
Fans from several other countries, such as the US, Mexico, and Poland, have already travelled to the city to pay tribute. A live stream of the Black Sabbath bench will remain online for those unable to attend in person.
The late rocker's death came just weeks after he took the stage for one last performance at the Back to the Beginning farewell concert at Villa Park.
Seated on a black throne, he performed for a global audience alongside Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, as well as members of Metallica and Aerosmith.
Backstage, he witnessed Slipknot’s Sid Wilson propose to his daughter, Kelly. “Kelly, you know I love you more than anything in the world,” Wilson said, before Ozzy interrupted with a grin: “F**k off, you’re not marrying my daughter.”
Kelly later paid tribute to her father on Instagram, sharing lyrics from their 2003 duet 'Changes': “I feel unhappy, I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had,” with a broken heart emoji.
Meanwhile, Osbourne’s final memoir, Last Rites, is set to be published in October.
The book is described as a “brutally honest” look at his life, including a deeply personal account of the cheating scandal that nearly ended his marriage to Sharon in 2016.
Osbourne had sought therapy for sex addiction after the affair with hairstylist Michelle Pugh came to light.
“This book was basically Ozzy’s last confessions,” a source told The Sun. “Not a word will be changed, even about painful times in his life and how his affair affected Sharon.” His wife is expected to write the foreword.