Over Five Million People Streamed BLACK SABBATH’s Back To The Beginning Show

Given the cultural weight of the moment, it’s no shock that the Back to the Beginning livestream this past Saturday was a massive success. Held at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, the monumental event marked the final live appearance of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath and the global metal community showed up in force.

According to The Guardian, the farewell show was livestreamed to more than five million viewers worldwide, solidifying its place as one of the biggest moments in metal history. While exact numbers are hard to confirm, especially when accounting for unofficial streams, that number could easily be even higher.

More than 40,000 fans packed into the stadium to witness a legendary bill that included Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Anthrax, and a number of all-star supergroup tributes to Ozzy and Black Sabbath classics. Hosted by actor and lifelong metalhead Jason Momoa, the event was a final love letter to the fans and the city that shaped one of music’s most influential bands.

Most importantly, Back to the Beginning was also a massive fundraiser. With digital tickets priced from $29.99 and climbing for premium packages, and with all proceeds going to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice, the event is likely to have raised millions for charity.

The full lineup for Back To The Beginning was:

• Black Sabbath
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Metallica
• Guns N’ Roses
• Slayer
• Pantera
• Tool
• Alice in Chains
• Gojira
• Lamb of God
• Anthrax
• Halestorm
• Mastodon
• Rival Sons
• Supergroup A feat. Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake E. Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin, Adam Wakeman, Lzzy Hale, David Draiman, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Whitfield Crane, Sleep Token‘s II & Yungblud
• Supergroup B feat. Billy Corgan, Sammy Hagar, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Nuno Bettencourt, Rudy Sarzo, Adam Wakeman, Vernon Reid, Chad Smith, Steven Tyler, Ronnie Wood & Andrew Watt
• Drum-Off Supergroup feat. Travis Barker, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, Tom Morello, Rudy Sarzo & Nuno Bettencourt

Speaking of Back To The Beginning, you can watch both Sabbath and Osbourne‘s final sets right here and all the bands covering Black Sabbath here.