Following a sold-out world premiere in 2023, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Black Sabbath – The Ballet is set to return with a major UK tour in autumn 2025.
The production will kick off with a homecoming at Birmingham Hippodrome from 18 to 27 September, following international dates in Europe and the USA.
The tour will then head to The Lowry, Salford (8–11 October), Theatre Royal Plymouth (16–18 October), Sadler’s Wells, London (22–25 October), and conclude with a Scottish premiere at Edinburgh Festival Theatre (30 October–1 November).
This groundbreaking ballet, which brought heavy metal fans into the world of classical dance, will feature newly integrated audio interviews with Black Sabbath band members, Sharon Osbourne, and fans from around the world.
The sound design has been reimagined and amplified, promising an even more electrifying experience for audiences.
Birmingham Royal Ballet Director, Carlos Acosta, said:
“Back in 2023 we were blown away by the awesome success of Black Sabbath – The Ballet, selling out at every performance with standing ovations and bringing audiences that had never experienced live dance before to the theatre. Now, in 2025, we are cranking the volume up to 11 with a big, bold UK tour that is sure to knock everyone’s socks off!”
Black Sabbath co-founder Tony Iommi added:
“Black Sabbath have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this! It was incredible to see what Carlos and the team at Birmingham Royal Ballet did back in 2023 – bringing our music to life in a way I never thought possible! It’s fantastic that more fans across the country get to see this extraordinary production this autumn on a UK tour.”
The score, composed and arranged by Christopher Austin, reimagines eight iconic Black Sabbath tracks, including Paranoid, Ironman, and War Pigs, performed live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and guitarist Marc Hayward.
Austin said:
“For the music team, creating the score for this extraordinary ballet has been an exhilarating journey, and it all began with the most amazing gift from Tony: his trust in us to honour the band’s music and his encouragement to follow our own new paths with those iconic songs. The passion and commitment of the whole creative team at BRB and the overwhelming response from audiences has made Black Sabbath – The Ballet the experience of a lifetime and I can’t wait to be back in the theatre conducting this magical show.”
The production is a full-length, three-act Ballet Now commission, choreographed by Pontus Lidberg, Raúl Reinoso, and Cassi Abranches, with design by Alexandre Arrechea and lighting by KJ. Additional compositions are by Marko Nyberg and Sun Keting, with dramaturgy by Richard Thomas and metal curation by Lisa Meyer.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
