Fans are pushing to rename Birmingham Airport and a stage at Download Festival after the late Ozzy Osbourne.
- READ MORE: Ozzy Osbourne, 1948-2025: culture-smashing revolutionary that redefined rock and reality TV
The heavy metal pioneer and Black Sabbath frontman died on Tuesday (July 22) at age 76. In a statement, his family shared that he was “surrounded by love” at the time of his passing.
Countless fans and figures from the music world have shared tributes to the ‘Crazy Train’ singer – including Zak Starkey, Adam Sandler, Ghost’s Tobias Forge, Alice Cooper, Elton John, Yungblud, Billie Joe Armstrong, Jack White, Coldplay, Gojira and Jake E Lee. Touching messages have also been shared by his Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler.
Now, some are suggesting that the airport in his Birmingham hometown be renamed to celebrate his life and musical legacy.
The petition was put forward on Change.org by Dan Hudson, co-host of the A Gay And A Nongay podcast, who suggested that Birmingham International Airport have a rebrand in honour of the Prince Of Darkness.
“Ozzy Osbourne was the most important musician ever to hail from Birmingham,” his description reads. “Ozzy’s influence on music and culture is undeniable. Naming our international airport after him would be a fitting tribute to his extraordinary career and contributions to the arts.”
RIP Ozzy
A petition calling on Birmingham International Airport to be renamed after #OzzyOsbourne is one of many tributes today on @UKChange
1/5#RIPOzzyOsbourne pic.twitter.com/z03Imezrfg
— Change.org UK (@UKChange) July 23, 2025
Hudson also outlined how “other airports in the UK are named after their famous children (George Best International Airport in Belfast, John Lennon Airport in Liverpool)” and suggested it “is only right that we do this here in Birmingham, in honour of Ozzy.”
The campaign is getting momentum too, with over 5,000 people signing it in less than two days.
“Naming Birmingham Airport after him would be HUGE, and the best nod to him possible,” one person who signed commented, while another shared, “It’s because of Ozzy Osbourne that a young kid from Boston knows a lot about Aston, Birmingham. Rename the airport because OZZY was an extraordinary figure and a good person.”
Find out more about the petition here.
There have also been calls for Download Festival to rename one of their stages in honour of the godfather of heavy metal.
Osbourne performed at the Donington Park event multiple times over the years, both as a solo artist and as part of Black Sabbath. His first time at venue was in 1984 – back when it was the legendary Monsters Of Rock festival – five years after he split from the band and launched his solo career. He would also return to host Ozzfest.
He also performed there with Sabbath at the 2012 and 2016 editions of Download, and his most recent appearance was in 2018, when he headlined as a solo artist for the first time.
Since news of his death, fans have taken to social media to suggest that organisers rename one of the stages after him, as a way to pay their respects to him and acknowledge the huge impact he had on the music industry.
“You know it makes sense, he has at the very least a stage named after him, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have the heavy metal that is so proudly displayed at your festival,” one fan wrote. “He has inspired an entire generation – all the bands you have play at your festival have in some way been inspired by Black Sabbath and Ozzy.”
Someone else added: “I was so grateful to see Sabbath at 2012 Download. Even more so now. It would be ridiculous not naming the stage in his honour next year,” while a third commented on Download’s recent Instagram post, saying: “So we’re getting Osbourne stage next year then yeah?”
Neither Download Festival nor Birmingham Airport has responded to calls for rebrands at time of writing.
Osbourne’s death came just weeks after he made his final on stage appearance at a show dubbed ‘Back To The Beginning’. Held in the band’s hometown on July 5, it marked Ozzy’s last performance both as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath, and also saw appearances from Guns N’ Roses, KoRn, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Metallica, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Anthrax, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and more.
Proceeds from the one-off show were donated to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acom Children’s Hospice.
It was recently confirmed that that performance will be turned into a concert film and shown in cinemas next year – along with behind-the-scenes footage and backstage interviews. Ozzy’s final memoir, Last Rites, will be posthumously released later this year too.
It has been reported that paramedics tried for two hours to save the singer on the day of his death, and his 85-year-old sister, Jean Powell, told The Mirror that while his family knew he was “frail”, news of his passing “still came as a shock” as “he still had plans and things he wanted to do.”
The post Fans call to rename Birmingham airport and Download festival stage after Ozzy Osbourne: “The best nod to him possible” appeared first on NME.
