K.K. Downing is Booked for Black Sabbath’s Final Concert. Will Judas Priest Be Added?

If you're a rock/metal fan, there's a good chance you're still buzzing about the announcement of the final Black Sabbath show and its incredible support bill. Of the many takeaways and developments since the announcement, there's one thing I can't stop thinking about: Former Judas Priest guitarist and founding member K.K. Downing is on the bill, but not Judas Priest.

Downing issued a statement about performing at this upcoming event and said, "This will be an incredibly emotional and historic event! The final farewell to the ultimate gods of metal. Black Sabbath and Ozzy will return to their home in Aston, Birmingham, the very place where it all began, and I am deeply honored to be part of this momentous occasion, paying my respects and tribute."

He added, "I vividly remember growing up in the suburbs of Birmingham, England, over 50 years ago and witnessing the emergence of this band that would pioneer a genre of music that had never been heard before. It was more than just music—it was the sound, the performance and the atmosphere that created a phenomenon that was irresistible to fans, and I was one of them. I know firsthand the immense impact Black Sabbath has had on the world."

While it's wonderful that Downing is on the bill of the final Sabbath show, it just seems like a lost opportunity not to have Priest there, too. After all, like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest formed in Birmingham, England and have a great relationship with Ozzy Osbourne. When the Prince of Darkness had to drop out of Power Trip in 2023, it was Priest who replaced him on the bill.

Judas Priest was also booked to support Ozzy during his farewell tour, which was cut short due to his various health issues. When that was announced, Rob Halford expressed empathy and appreciation for Ozzy in a March 2023 interview with Metal Hammer. The Metal God said, "I can only reinforce what all of Ozzy’s fans, including us in Judas Priest, have said to him though, which is that he has done so much for all of us in rock and metal. He’s done so much for his fans, and we all know how bad he feels about having to cancel because he lives for those fans. You can see that every time he goes onstage, he’s beaming and connecting with everybody."

There is clearly a lot of love and respect between these two iconic heavy metal bands, who happen to hail from the same city. Despite Priest's unfortunate and dramatic split with Downing in 2011, they showed they could peacefully coexist on stage when the band received the Musical Excellence Award at the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Considering how much the final Black Sabbath show will be a celebration of heavy metal and hard rock, it makes no sense that Judas Priest wouldn't be there to salute Sabbath and the history of the genres.

Here's hoping plans are in the works for Priest to be added to the lineup before the show on July 5.