Birmingham-born band Black Sabbath’s farewell show is set to help boost the city’s economy by up to £20m, as fans flock to say goodbye to the long-running rock group.
The West Midlands Growth Company, which invests in growth for the region, said that the West Midlands is expecting a boost of up to £20m in visitor economy, largely thanks to the sold-out Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning festival at Villa Park on Saturday 5 July.
Dubbed ‘the greatest heavy metal show ever’, the show will see frontman Ozzy Osbourne perform for the final time with the original lineup of Black Sabbath.
The region is also set to be boosted by other cultural and sporting events over the weekend, such as Jeff Lynne’s ELO: The Over and Out tour at the Utilita Arena, the second men’s cricket test between England and India at Edgbaston Stadium, the Godiva music festival in Coventry and the Colmore Food Festival in Birmingham’s city centre.
With so many travelling to the West Midlands for Black Sabbath and the other events, hotel occupancy in the centre of Birmingham is predicted to surge close to 90 per cent, much higher than the 54 per cent on the same weekend last year.
Figures also suggest that Birmingham’s hoteliers will enjoy increased occupancy levels for the first three weeks in July, in contrast to 12 months earlier.
In a Q&A with communications agency Premier Comms, Osbourne, 76, said the show, titled Back to the Beginning, was a chance to “say thank you to my fans for always supporting me and being there for me”.
“I couldn't have done my final show anywhere else,” he said of playing the gig in his hometown of Birmingham. “I had to go back to the beginning.”
Osbourne’s wife, TV personality and music producer Sharon Osbourne, added that Birmingham “means so much to Ozzy”.
“When it comes to heavy metal music, Black Sabbath forming and his love of Aston Villa – it all started here,” she added.
Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The eyes of the world will be on Birmingham for an extraordinary, unrivalled few days of music, sport and foodie events, delivering real-time economic benefits to our local businesses and communities.
“There is always such a special atmosphere in the city on major event days. We look forward to bringing people together and providing the backdrop for a vibrant celebration of Birmingham’s culture and heritage, creating more special experiences and memories for our visitors.”
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