Billy Corgan reflects on “beautiful and bittersweet day” of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final show

Billy Corgan has reflected on his time at Black Sabbath’s final gig, describing it as both “beautiful and bittersweet”.

• READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne and Tony Iommi tell us about Black Sabbath’s finale: “Usually this thing is done when you’re dead”

The performance was held at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday night (July 5), and marked the final farewell for the heavy metal pioneers – with founding members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward performing together for the first time since 2005.

Other huge names across rock and metal also took part, and names on the bill included Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Anthrax, Guns N’ Roses, KoRn, Tool, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and the surviving members of Soundgarden. It was Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello who served as musical director, and actor Jason Momoa hosted the event (and also made headlines after starting a moshpit during Pantera’s set).

One of the most memorable parts of the show included Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan forming a supergroup with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar, Tool guitarist Adam Jones and Rage Against Tom Morello, and performing covers of Judas Priest’s ‘Breaking the Law’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘Snowblind’.

Now, Corgan has taken to social media to share what the event meant to him, and how he found it “bittersweet” to see the metal veterans play their final set.

“A few reflections on a beautiful and bittersweet day,” he began his post on X/Twitter. “I first heard Black Sabbath on my uncle’s stereo some 50 years ago. So it was surreal to stand on a football pitch with 45,000 strong to witness the end of this grand, institutional group who has touched me personally, professionally, and at times even intimately in stolen moments of work and camaraderie.”

A few reflections on a beautiful and bittersweet day: I first heard Black Sabbath on my uncle’s stereo some 50 years ago. So it was surreal to stand on a football pitch with 45,000 strong to witness the end of this grand, institutional group who has touched me personally,… pic.twitter.com/Ih6Hrf78UQ

— William Patrick Corgan (@Billy) July 6, 2025

After individually thanking all four founding members of the band, Corgan added that he “owes a debt of gratitude” to Ozzy’s wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, for both designing the live show and asking him to take part in it.

“It was truly an honour on more levels that I could count. And to witness the passionate performances of so many in rehearsal: those I admire from afar, those I know, too, and see the translation into the near 10-hour affair of music and fellowship was something to behold.

“Music is of course the soundtrack to our lives, but yesterday in my estimation was something truly special. As a three-dimensional soundtrack was being crafted in real time. All to celebrate this coming home for the band once known as Earth.”

Concluding the post, Corgan recalled the “magic” that he felt by seeing so many artists come together to celebrate Black Sabbath, and added that he felt highs and lows throughout the set. “I both whooped yesterday in sheer exultation to be in the right spot at the right moment, and I wept silently as my heroes fell on their wizardly, mythic sword to bid us farewell,” he shared.

I’ve been listening to this band for 50 years.
And there hasn’t been a year that’s gone by that I didn’t listen to them.
They’re the band that I reach for when I’m having a hard time.
They’re the band that I reach for when I want to get inspired.
I will wear these pictures of us… pic.twitter.com/iqM61ULwXx

— William Patrick Corgan (@Billy) July 5, 2025

Corgan’s appearance on Saturday wasn’t the only supergroup to be formed at the event. About midway through the event, Tool’s Danny Carey, Blink-182’s Travis Barker and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith took part in a drum-off while covering Sabbath’s ‘Symptom Of The Universe’. They were also joined by Tom Morello, bassist Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne’s solo material), and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.

As well as that, Morello, Steven Tyler, Travis Barker and The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood came together to cover Led Zeppelin, and Yungblud led another supergroup in a version of ‘Changes’, which they dedicated to the late footballer Diogo Jota.

Find out more about what went down at the event here, and visit here to buy a livestream copy of the one-off show.

The post Billy Corgan reflects on “beautiful and bittersweet day” of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final show appeared first on NME.