I got to see Ozzy's last gig thanks to Metro - it was the best day of my life

Metro

24-07-2025

Ian Burnip was sitting in hospital receiving chemotherapy when he made one last ditch attempt to see Ozzy Osbourne live.
The 38-year-old had been excited for months to see his Black Sabbath idol at their last ever concert at Birmingham's Villa Park Stadium on July 5.
Ian, who uses a wheelchair and suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, however learnt just days before that he would not be able to attend the gig with the standing ticket he bought due to 'health and safety' policy.
After trying desperately to be allowed to watch the show, he got in contact with Metro, who made sure he saw the famous musician one last time.
The heavy metal artist died on Tuesday after a devastating battle with Parkinson's over the last few years.
With his health in decline, Ozzy planned to bring his acclaimed career to an end at the Villa Park show earlier this month.
Back in February, Ian was unable to get accessible tickets to the final concert due to a huge waitlist.
So instead the Aston Villa season ticket holder paid over £500 for a standing ticket for him and an aid through the club's presale scheme.
As a regular visitor to the club and someone who worked there as a TV producer, Ian had believed the pitch was accessible and that he would be fine to attend with a standing ticket.
But after months of anticipation following his breast cancer diagnosis in November, he was shell shocked just three days before the gig when Aston Villa sent out information saying mobility aids were banned from the pitch for health and safety reasons.
Ian told us: 'It was like being stabbed in the heart.
'They are a band that my dad, who passed away a couple of years ago, had introduced me to.
'I was looking forward to this being a special treat that I had lined up in my life. And it was snatched away by this policy right at the last minute.'
Ian desperately rung up Aston Villa but claims he was told that the concert's promoters Live Nation were responsible for the health and safety restrictions.
But when he contacted Live Nation, they told him health and safety was the venue Villa Park's responsibility.
Metro has seen an email from Live Nation to Ian, where the promoter says that.
Running out of options and worn out due to the chemotherapy, he got in touch with us the night before the show to raise awareness of his plea for a seat to the show.
Ian said: 'They made an access adjustment for Ozzy Osbourne so he can do the gigs, but they can't make an access adjustment for me to go the venue and see the show.
'I'd spent 48hrs fighting for access, a reasonable adjustment.
'It looked like I would miss out on this important memory – yet another gig I couldn't get to because of a lack of accessible facilities.'
Once we heard from Ian we contacted both Live Nation and Aston Villa with his story and asked what could be done.
That is when it all changed.
Ian explained: 'Then Metro took on the case and heard my story – while I was sitting getting chemo treatment!
'Within an hour I had tickets which I could use, and was one of no more than 70 lucky wheelchair users who would witness an historic moment in music history.'
He was also thankful for last minutes adjustments of all involved, including Villa and Live Nation, for finding him a space.
'I will be forever grateful that they sorted it out, and enabled me to attend,' Ian added.
Because of this adjustment, Ian got to see Ozzy Osbourne's star-studded last performance.
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The frontman reunited with his bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.
As his band put on a stunning performance, he made an arrival on stage in a black throne with a bat on the top before belting out some of his best-known heavy metal hits.
Known as the Prince of Darkness, he said 'let the madness begin' at the beginning of the show as his wife Sharon and daughter Kelly watched on from the crowd.
Throughout the performance, Ozzy repeatedly thanked the 42,000 fans who had come to watch him sing.
At one point, he was even heard saying 'you have no idea how I feel', as the crowd cheered him on.
Just as the gig was closing, Ozzy gave fans one heartbreaking final message.
The singer said: 'It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.'
Metro is also the official media partner of 2026 Scope Awards that will take place next year.
Every year, the charity puts out a call for anyone who thinks they might have a friend, family member, colleague, neighbour, or celebrity they think is worthy of a nomination for the awards.
The awards aim to not only celebrate the work of the disabled community but also to try and raise awareness of the issues faced by disabled people every day.
These are the nine categories:
Media Moment – an impactful media moment that has helped shift attitudes on disability
· Celebrity Role Model – a disabled public figure that uses their platform to affect change
· Social Media Influencer – an influencer who uses their online channels to speak out about disability equality
· Purple Pioneer – someone who raises awareness of disability or works to change attitudes in their community
· Community Group – a community group or organisation that brings people together to create meaningful change in their local area
· Local Service – a local service, business or social enterprise that makes a lasting difference for disabled people
· Colleague Network – a colleague network or employee resource group that makes the workplace more inclusive of disabled people
· Workplace Champion – someone who champions disability inclusion or breaks down barriers in the workplace
· Customer Inclusion – an organisation that removes barriers and makes life more accessible for disabled people
For more details about the awards and how to nominate someone please visit scope.org.uk/awards
Speaking after the music legend's death, Ian said the final concert was momentous and that he cherished it more because of the last minute drama around getting a ticket.
He said: 'I was like a kid at Christmas, having not allowed myself to get too enticed by what seemed for a host of reasons to be a pipe dream. More Trending
'It was a special day, one that I will never forget. The whole thing was superbly crafted to make it a meaningful, momentous event which spoke to people from all walks of life, as members of the metal family.'
'I was heartbroken when I saw that Ozzy had died. But at least I was able to see him and Sabbath one last time, especially as a Brummie and a Villa fan, at Villa Park.'
Metro approached Live Nation and Aston Villa for comment on July 4 but did not receive a response when they then arranged accessible seating for Ian.
Metro has approached them again for additional comment for this article.
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