Ozzy's Bat Throne Joins Birmingham Museum Exhibit
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- Ozzy Osbourne's gothic throne — emblazoned with a bat's head and wings — will go on display July 1 at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery as part of the free "Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero" exhibit, whose run has been extended to Sept. 27
- The throne first appeared at the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, not at Osbourne's farewell gig, and became necessary on stage because of his health issues, including a Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 2020
- Back to the Beginning took place July 5, 2025 at Villa Park in Birmingham, featuring Osbourne's final live performances as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath, plus sets from Metallica, Slayer, Guns N' Roses, Pantera, Jack Black, Tom Morello, and Gojira
- Sharon Osbourne said the throne's placement feels fitting ahead of the one-year anniversary, calling the piece "synonymous with his final performance" and noting fans can now view it in the museum
- Osbourne died July 22, 2025, just weeks after the farewell concert, and the exhibit — which also displays his platinum records, industry honors, and childhood photographs from Birmingham's Aston neighborhood — originally opened last June in the lead-up to the show
Why it matters: The Birmingham Museum's decision to extend the exhibit and acquire the throne cements Ozzy Osbourne's working-class Birmingham roots alongside his heavy-metal legacy, giving fans a permanent pilgrimage site tied to his final performance less than a year after his death.
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