Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
In a recent interview with Billboard magazine, Sharon Osbourne, a British TV personality, music manager, and the widow of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, revealed that she is thinking about hosting another Ozzfest traveling festival, as per Blabbermouth.
I’ve been talking to Live Nation about bringing [Ozzfest] back recently. It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people. We really started metal festivals in this country. It was [replicated but] never done with the spirit of what ours was, because ours was a place for new talent. It was like summer camp for kids.
Sharon claims that Ozzfest’s next iteration might debut as early as 2027. But she also stated that she had a different idea for it: “I’d like to mix up the genres,” she said. In the same conversation, Sharon revealed that she is collaborating with Live Nation to begin a classical tour of Black Sabbath’s library, which would feature local orchestras and cutting-edge graphics. Ozzfest was the first hard rock music-focused national music festival when it was founded thirty years ago.
Since its “free” edition in 2007, the event has not been a traveling festival in the United States. In 2008, the show became a one-time event in Dallas; in 2009, it took a break; and in 2010, it only performed in six places. Ozzy headlined the all-day Ozzfest in 2017, which drew over 17,000 attendees. Rob Zombie concluded the Knotfest roster the next day. In 2017, Ozzy‘s Ozzfest and Slipknot’s Knotfest combined for a two-day festival for the second time. According to Pollstar, 12,465 people attended a unique one-night-only New Year’s Eve Ozzfest on December 31, 2018 at The Forum in Los Angeles, California. The Live Nation-produced show sold $1.2 million worth of tickets, with prices ranging from $59.50 to $179.50.
