Ozzfest Returns for Six Dates in August With Ozzy, Motley Crue, Rob Halford

After much speculation and hearsay about its future, the formerly summer-long Ozzfest tour will return, albeit in limited capacity, in August. Despite not being a cross-country, two-month event as it once was, the tour will obviously be that much more special since it's playing select cities. Ozzfest, once synonymous with metal and summer, will set up shop at six American cities and will be co-headlined by Ozzy Osbourne himself and Mötley Crüe, who will enjoy their first-ever appearance on the tour. It's the first time Ozzy and the Crüe have shared a stage since their 1984 arena tour together. Reunited and it feels so good!

The exclusivity and small number of shows on the tour certainly ups the 'must see' factor. Ozzfest took a year off in 2009 and featured a single stadium show in Dallas in 2008, with Ozzy and Metallica as headliners. In the interim, the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival came along and picked up where Ozzfest parked its tour buses. Mayhem seemed to be the death knell for Ozzfest -- but as this news clearly demonstrates, you can't keep Ozzy and his namesake tour down!

Ozzfest 2010 starts on Aug. 14 in San Bernardino, Calif., which has the distinction of being the birthplace of the first Ozzfest all the way back in 1996. The tour will bulldoze its way through Chicago, Hartford, Conn., Camden, N.J., Pittsburgh and Boston.

Ozzy, the Crüe, Rob Halford -- who last appeared on Ozzfest in 2004 with the reunited Judas Priest -- DevilDriver and Nonpoint, who are side stage Ozzfest alums, will populate the main stage. Halford will be playing solo material as well as songs from his work in Priest and with Fight, so all you Metal God fans are probably foaming at the mouth over that information.

Second stage headliners and six-time Ozzfest veterans Black Label Society are scheduled to perform alongside Drowning Pool, Kingdom of Sorrow, Goatwhore, Skeletonwitch, Saviours and Kataklysm. Black Label's appearance certainly lays to rest any rumors of dischord between Ozzy and his longtime former guitarist, Zakk Wylde.

Each Ozzfest date will include 13 bands spread across two stages, with music beginning at 1 PM. Thankfully, no more of those dreaded 9 AM start times, as it was in the past. The 'Village of the Damned' will be back as well, with shopping tents and other assorted activities to engage in between bands.

Tickets for the shows go on sale May 22 at ozzfest.com and livenation.com.



Ozzfest 2010 tour dates

8/14 -- San Bernardino, CA -- San Manuel Amphitheater

8/17 -- Chicago, IL -- First Midwest Bank Amp.

8/19 -- Pittsburgh, PA -- First Niagara Pavilion

8/21 -- Hartford, CT -- Comcast Theater

8/22 -- Camden, NJ -- Susquehanna

8/24 -- Boston, MA -- Comcast Center

Be sure to also check out Noisecreep's top 10 most memorable Ozzfest moments. Welcome back, Ozzfest.