With many music fans griping about the cost of concert tickets these days, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne have decided to try something completely new for this summer's Ozzfest: free tickets. That's right - FREE. The Osbournes and tour producer Live Nation announced today at the Concert Industry Consortium in Los Angeles that their 12th annual Metal festival - a 25-date trek launching July 7 in Los Angeles - is pulling the plug on ticket prices and calling this summer’s Ozzfest "FreeFest." To gain entry to the shows, fans will be directed to Ozzfest.com or LiveNation.com to find links that will direct them to special sponsor sites where tickets can be secured. More details regarding the process are forthcoming.

As for the lineup, Ozzy will headline the festival, but the other bands are still under wraps. "We have bands committed, but we’re hoping that after today's announcement we’ll have a whole influx of artists who want to be a part of something this ground breaking," said Sharon Osbourne. "We know there aren't any major headlining acts that would tour all summer for nothing, but we're confident we can turn some of the genre's biggest bands on to what we're doing and have them come out to play a date or two... They can sell their t-shirts, CDs and whatever else they've got. They're also welcome to book their own shows in local venues on the day of Ozzfest. I’m not stopping them. People have to be creative and think of alternatives."

Sharon also commented about why the tickets will be free this year, saying that the touring model in the U.S. needs to be re-evaluated. "For the last few years, ticket prices have steadily climbed as artists demand more and more money for summer tours. We certainly want everybody to make money, however we also want the kids to be able to afford to come out and have an incredible experience. If we continued with the traditional touring festival model, we would have no choice but to raise ticket prices again this year."

She continued, "We're reaching the same point we did years ago when kids no longer wanted to pay for overpriced CDs. As a result, they found alternative ways of getting music. That’s what’s happening with summer touring in this country, it’s out-pricing itself. We started this and we want to keep it and we want to make it bigger and bigger each year by getting bigger sponsors to be involved with the festival and underwriting the festival. That’s what it’s about."

Cities listed:
LOS ANGELES
SAN DIEGO
SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE
DENVER
ALBUQUERQUE
PHOENIX
DALLAS
SAN ANTONIO
KANSAS CITY
ST LOUIS
CHICAGO
INDIANAPOLIS
COLUMBUS
PITTSBURGH
NEW YORK
BOSTON
PHILADELPHIA
HARTFORD
CHARLOTTE
ATLANTA
WEST PALM BEACH
NASHVILLE

They FINALLY hit my price! I may go to another Ozzfest show now!

JEFF d
LMP fan

lmfaooo @ jeff , hehe I might go, as well!! Nothing like going to see a bunch of Rock shows in the hot summer! wheee!

That is so awesome!! I'm so glad Ozzy & Sharon are doing that!! Thank you for posting Lil!!

why isn't he coming to Canada? Ozzfest never seems to make it up here...

,....right on, kansas city and st louis are on the venue. i'm there.....

thats a trip....you have to hand it to Sharon Osbourne.

This would be torture for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Epi:
why isn't he coming to Canada? Ozzfest never seems to make it up here...

LUV yer quote lol....

here is a good answer machine mess. :

"I CANT GET TO THE PHONE RIGHT NOW, IM MAKING CHANGES IN MY LIFE. IF I DONT CALL YOU BACK ...YOU ARE ONE OF THE CHANGES." LMAO. ...

Hahaha....

Well, I might just have to check it out if it comes to the Philly area this year. Although, knowing that they're FREE, a TON of people will probably be there.......

grumpy1 wants to go...has never seen ozzy

I love the Osbournes man