Ozzfest Tickets

Ozzfest was developed in 1996 to bring together the premiere names in heavy metal and hardcore groups after Ozzy Osbourne was not permitted to join the Lollapalooza tour. The tour concept was developed by Osbournes wife, Sharon, and is organized annually by Ozzy, Sharon, and their son Jack.

The first Ozzfest in 1996 was a two-day festival in Phoenix, Ariz., and Devore, Ca. It included performances from Osbourne, Slayer, Danzig, Biohazard and Coal Chamber, among others. In 1997 the names became even bigger, including Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson and Pantera. The tour has always been known for a sizeable second stage, which gives opportunities for up-and-coming rock performers to gain exposure.

In 1998, Tool, Megadeth, Limp Bizkit, Sevendust and others joined Osbourne, and the popularity of the tour prompted a U.K. tour including Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters and Pantera. The 1999 tour included Rob Zombie, Deftones, Primus, Godsmack and System of a Down; the 2000 installment featured P.O.D., Queens of the Stone Age, Incubus and Pantera. By 2002, a Central European leg was added to the tour, including Tool, Bad Religion, Slayer and System of a Down.

The 2004 Ozzfest was particularly popular, as it was shown on MTV during the Osbourne familys heyday. The show "Battle for Ozzfest" allowed Ozzy and Sharon to choose eight out of hundreds of bands to compete for a spot on the tour. One member from each band joined the tour and had to complete a number of challenges, and band members were periodically kicked off. The winner of the show was Marc Serrano, and his band A Dozen Furies joined the outing.

A free Ozzfest was planned for 2007 - sponsorship money paid for the tour, but bands were not paid to participate. While it was a noble endeavor, there were major problems with the tour, and they will return to a for-sale ticket format in 2008.

More exciting news has been announced for the 2008 tour - Sharon is in the process of reuniting the original Black Sabbath.