ozzy osbourne in 1996<\/span><\/p> Most notably, the first Ozzfest was only held at venues in Phoenix and Devore, California in its first year. Looking back, it’s also odd seeing the 1996 version of the festival running in October instead of taking advantage of the summer months.<\/p>\n The first Ozzfest lineup was also considerably smaller in comparison to the fest’s later lineups. Besides Ozzy, only 10 other acts were on the bill with Slayer<\/a>, Danzig<\/a> and Sepultura<\/a> among the notable names.<\/p>\n The first year of Ozzfest proved to be a success, even in a somewhat crowded market that also included the Warped Tour<\/a> and Lollapalooza<\/a> when it was still a traveling festival.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Looking Back at All 43 Bands That Played Korn’s Family Values Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ozzfest organizers were undeterred as they set out to turn the somewhat limited event into a full-fledged traveling circus of metal and hard rock. The artist lineups got larger, and so did the number of Ozzfest dates.<\/p>\n Putting more bands on the bill also meant longer days for attendees, as Ozzfest opted to have a fairly small stage footprint that didn’t require overlapping set times and multiple bands playing at the same time. This called for opening venue gates much earlier, with the first band playing as early as 11AM in some cases.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0The Insult That Launched Ozzfest<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Eventually, Ozzfest would go international as an attempt to reach a new fanbase. The festival ran three separate lineups in 2010 with runs in the U.S., the U.K. and Israel. After a three-year hiatus, Ozzfest would later return as a Japan-only festival.<\/p>\n The international expansion proved insufficient to sustain Ozzfest. The festival returned to its roots as a one-day festival in San Bernardino, California, in 2016,\u00a0which was also paired with Slipknot’s Knotfest festival. That year saw Black Sabbath<\/a> and Disturbed<\/a> topping the Ozzfest portion of bill.<\/p>\n The two festivals would partner once again in San Bernardino 2017 with Ozzy as a headliner.<\/p>\n The final Ozzfest was held on New Year’s Eve in 2018 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Ozzy returned as the headliner alongside supporting acts Rob Zombie<\/a>, Marilyn Manson<\/a> and Jonathan Davis<\/a> of Korn<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, that may not be the absolute final Ozzfest. Sharon Osbourne has confirmed plans to potentially bring the festival back in 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n Until then, here is a look at every single band that ever played an Ozzfest.<\/p>\n Ozzfest provided a platform for established metal acts and those just coming up in the scene to reach a wider audience as a traveling festival. Here is a look back at the more than 100 acts that performed during Ozzfest over the years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Below, see how we ranked all the Ozzfest lineups.<\/em><\/p>\nHow Ozzfest Grew<\/h3>\n
The Final Years of Ozzfest<\/h3>\n
Looking Back At More Than 100 Bands That Played Ozzfest<\/h2>\n
Every Ozzfest Lineup, Ranked<\/h2>\n