- Following the announcement of Ozzy Osbourne’s death, Birmingham mobilised and collaborated to deliver a high-profile final journey for Ozzy and the Osbourne family.
- Working with Birmingham City Council, Transport for West Midlands and Midland Metro, OPUS (Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces) delivered a moving tribute that was safe and respectful.
- The sendoff for Ozzy created a global cultural moment for Birmingham, his fans and the family to be together.
Over the course of five days, Birmingham demonstrated exemplary public and private sector coordination during the planning of the high profile funeral procession for local icon, the late great Ozzy Osbourne, which took place on 30 July 2025.
Cross services and partner co-ordination began as soon as the news of Ozzy’s death was announced with Books of Condolence opening at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Villa Park and with tributes beginning to be laid at key sites across the city centre. From this point all the key city centre agencies met daily to co-ordinate the city’s response. When the Osbourne Family approached Birmingham City Council with their request to take Ozzy on a final journey through his hometown, the mechanisms for a seamless city-scale co-ordination were in place.
Birmingham City Council event’s team led the initiative, appointing OPUS to ensure the safe, respectful and smooth delivery of a procession taking in Broad Street, the Black Sabbath Bridge and Bench. On behalf of Birmingham City Council, OPUS worked closely across multiple Council departments (Events, Highways, Licensing, Emergency Planning, and the Safety Advisory Group) as well as managing the coordination with West Midlands Police.
Caroline Davis, OPUS Managing Director and Event Director said: “The tribute to Ozzy was a textbook example of how the right partnerships enabled us to quickly and effectively work closely with Birmingham City Council, our safety advisors, and a deeply professional supplier team meaning we were able to navigate the events complexity with confidence. The trust between all partners made the difference — and we’re proud to have been part of it.”
The collaboration and delivery of the funeral cortege, led by OPUS, covered:
- Safety assurance, embedded through continuous collaboration with JPC Safety, whose experience of working on Operation London Bridge enhanced the OPUS offer.
- Working with AES to deploy crowd control barriers to safely guide foot traffic and preserve buffer zones along Broad Street.
- Traffix implemented traffic management protocols, establishing road closures, diversions, and access plans while balancing resident needs.
- SNSG delivered professional security and crowd management services, with skilled stewards and dynamic risk handling in real time.
- Avion TSL supplied bespoke media risers, enabling press and broadcast crews to operate safely and effectively, without obstructing the viewing experience.
- Medical was provided by Immediate Medical Care, providing care to those fans that needed it after waiting for significant time to get a view of Ozzy and the funeral procession
- Integration of multiple Birmingham City Council departments, from Highways and Street Cleaning to Press and Communications.
This network of suppliers and partners delivered efficient and robust planning, executed with agility and responsiveness which also included private coordination through the input of the ICC, Brindleyplace, Canal and Rivers Trust, The Library of Birmingham and Westside BID.
The funeral procession honored Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy while placing Birmingham’s operational capacity firmly in the spotlight. It’s a testament to what can be achieved when public authorities, safety specialists, and suppliers work in collaboration – especially under evolving public expectations for safety and ceremony.
Katie Brazier, Head of Events & City Centre Management of Birmingham City Council said: “A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved, a real testament to the most incredible collaborative, can do partnership working across public and private sector city stakeholders.
“We delivered a day for Ozzy, his family, friends and fans that will hold a special place in their hearts and minds and showed the world what Birmingham is all about.”
The sendoff for Ozzy was a global cultural moment for Birmingham, his fans and the family to be together. The city garnered widespread international media attention, with live coverage streamed across multiple platforms and viewed by millions of fans worldwide. Nearly every major UK newspaper featured the event on its front page, while global outlets – from Rolling Stone to Sky News – spotlighted Birmingham as the epicentre of a poignant and powerful farewell. This extraordinary visibility not only honoured a music legend but also showed the heart of the city and its people.
Find out more about how OPUS delivered the event here: https://www.opusartsevents.co.uk/ozzy-osbourne Further reflection on the day from Birmingham City Council can be found here