Ozzy Osbourne Teases 2018 Ozzfest
Ozzfest may start a new chapter in 2018. The festival brand, which started out as a touring festival built on Ozzy Osbourne's name, has become a destination event in recent years, most recently combining with Knotfest for Ozzfest Meets Knotfest music weekends in California. But a tweet from Osbourne himself hints at a new iteration of the festival, this time, based in New York.
Osbourne teased the possibility with the question, "Who would like to see @TheOzzfest happen in the New York area this year?" and a directive to send responses to his Facebook posting on the matter.
It's worth mentioning that Osbourne already has a few area gigs booked, including at the Jones Beach Amphitheater in Long Island on September 8 (about 40 miles outside of New York City), and at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel New Jersey on September 10 (that's also about 40 miles outside of New York City).
Ozzfest has existed in many forms over the years, starting off as a two-day tour in Arizona and California in 1996. From there, it evolved to a touring festival that traveled both the U.S. and the U.K. Some years Ozzy headlined solo, other years Black Sabbath led the festival and in 2006, Osbourne only played select dates, allowing for the possibility of additional headliners. In 2008, Ozzfest became a single weekend destination event, taking place in Frisco, Texas. In 2010, it returned with only a handful of dates worldwide. 2013 saw the birth of Ozzfest Japan. And Ozzfest returned stateside in 2016 with the first of two years of Ozzfest Meets Knotfest shows.
The last few years, the destination Ozzfest bills have taken place in the later portion of fall, but with it potentially being held in New York this year, it might have to come earlier in the year if the plan is for an outdoor performance. With Osbourne on the "No More Tours 2" trek, it should make for an interesting bill as the demand by peers to take part in what could be one of Osbourne's final appearances at an Ozzfest would likely be higher than usual. Stay tuned to see what Ozzfest has in store for 2018.
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