It’s been rumored for months, but Black Sabbath has officially announced their final tour, taking place in the beginning in January of next year and going through the spring. Kicking off in Omaha, Nebraska, on January 20, the shows will wind throughout North America before heading to Australia and New Zealand in April. Just 11 dates in the States are listed, and only one on the east coast, February 25 at Madison Square Garden.
That’s right — no Boston date… for now. More shows are scheduled to be announced next month according to the band’s message. Here it is in full:
“It’s the Beginning of THE END.
It started nearly five decades ago with a crack of thunder, a distant bell ringing and then that monstrous riff that shook the earth. The heaviest rock sound ever heard.
In that moment Heavy Metal was born, created by a young band from Birmingham, England barely out of their teens.
Now it ENDS, the final tour by the greatest Metal Band of all time, BLACK SABBATH. Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler close the final chapter in the final volume of the incredible BLACK SABBATH story.
BLACK SABBATH’s farewell tour, THE END, begins on January 20, 2016 and it promises to surpass all previous tours with their most mesmerizing production ever.
When this tour concludes, it will truly be THE END,THE END of one of the most legendary bands in Rock ‘n Roll history…BLACK SABBATH”
Unfortunately for longtime fans of the Sabs, original drummer will not be partaking in the final tour. When the band last reunited, in 2011, Ward was present at the press conference but later pulled out of the shows due to what he called “an unsignable contract.” Since then, he’s been involved with a very public war of words with singer Ozzy Osbourne, who has at points claimed Ward wasn’t healthy enough to tour and told the New York Daily News, “He’s already had two heart attacks. I don’t want to be responsible for his life.”
Ward’s image has also been scrubbed almost completely from the band’s official website, either cropped or edited out of any pictures.
Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk played on the band’s 2013 reunion album 13, and Tommy Clufetos from Ozzy’s solo band sat behind the kit on the ensuing tour. It hasn’t been announced who will be on drums for the final tour.
Here’s the official video announcement for the tour, with the initial dates below:
The dates are as follows:
North American Tour Dates
1/20 – Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Center
1/22 – Chicago, IL – United Center
1/25 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
1/28 – Saskatoon, SK – Sasktel Centre
1/30 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Centre
2/1 – Calgary, ON – Scotiabank Saddledome
2/3 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
2/6 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
2/9 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
2/11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
2/13 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center
2/15 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
2/17 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
2/19 – Detroit, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills
2/21 – Hamilton, ON – First Ontario Centre
2/23 – Montreal, QB – Bell Centre
2/25 – New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden
Australia/New Zealand Tour Dates
4/15 – Perth – Perth Arena
4/17 – Adelaide – Entertainment Centre
4/19 – Melbourne – Rod Laver Arena
4/23 – Sydney – Allphones Arena
4/25 – Brisbane – Entertainment Centre
4/28 – Auckland – Vector Arena
4/30 – Dunedin – Forsyth Barr Stadium
