Cathedrals of Sound: The Best Soccer Stadium Concerts of All Time | OneFootball

On the heels of Ozzy Ozbourne and Black Sabbath’s farewell show at Villa Park, we take a look at some of the most iconic concerts held in soccer stadiums.

It’s an especially exciting time in the world of soccer. The Club World Cup is heading to the final, Mexico just won its 10th Gold Cup, and the men’s World Cup kicks off in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in less than a year.

A big discussion whenever a major tournament is held is what venues are worthy to welcome such matchups, and the United States has slowly been building its credibility. NFL stadiums are considered the coliseums of the country, with some venues known for their history while others featuring top-tier technology.

Internationally, soccer stadiums remain the standard of an excellent venue. One factor that goes into a stadium’s rating, besides tradition and technology, is its capacity to be used for more than its pitch. That includes hosting ground-breaking concerts. The pinnacle of a music artist’s career is a stadium tour, as only the world’s best artists get to play the most venerated venues in front of tens of thousands of fans.

Music and soccer have gone hand-in-hand since the early days of the sport. Clubs big and small have chants that give identity to their diehard fanbases. Here in the United States, Atlanta United has done an especially good job of embracing the music culture of the city.

This past weekend exhibited the magic that can be made when the worlds of soccer and music collide because Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath had their farewell show at Aston Villa’s Villa Park. While England might seemingly be the place to be for iconic stadium concerts, it’s not the only place where historic music performances have captivated fans.

Here a look at the best throughout the years:

Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath at Aston Villa’s Villa Park

Black Sabbath is widely regarded as the founding band of heavy metal, and it went out with a bang this past weekend. The band reunited for a special celebration of Ozzy Osbourne’s career in a one-night event called “Back to the Beginning,” held at Aston Villa’s Villa Park. Black Sabbath was formed in Birmingham, and Osbourne is a noted Aston Villa fan, which made venue the only correct option for a farewell show.

Proceeds from the concert went to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Acorns Children’s Hospice, and Cure Parkinson’s. Osbourne revealed he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2020 and the disease has limited his ability to perform.

The concert looked nothing short of epic. It was an hours-long fest that featured actor Jason Momoa moshing with the crowd during Pantera’s set, a performance of “Train Kept A Rollin” by an Avengers-like group of Tom Morello, Travis Barker, and Steven Tyler, and Jack Black covering Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley.”

Osbourne took the stage in front of a reported crowd of 40,000 at Villa Park and more than 5 million more metalheads watching the live stream worldwide. He sat in a black winged throne and brought the energy as the crowd helped him go through hits like “Crazy Train” and “Suicide Solution.” His Black Sabbath bandmates then joined him for a set that featured a chilling rendition of “War Pigs.”

The event also paid tribute to Diogo Jota, the Portuguese and Liverpool player who died just days earlier in a car accident.

Villa Park has hosted several concerts, including Pink, Foo Fighters, and Duran Duran, but it’s clear “Back to the Beginning” was special.

Michael Jackson at Estadio Azteca

Estadio Azteca is the premiere football venue in Mexico, and quite possibly the entire world. It’s currently under renovation for the 2026 World Cup with hopes of returning to glory. The home of Club América and El Tri has hosted several historic World Cup and Olympic matches and is known for some great concerts too.

In 2011, U2 played a stop of its landmark 360° tour. The show featured a groundbreaking circular stage where fans could see the band from, well, 360° around. Another standout concert was in 2023 when RBD held its final show at the stadium, a fitting conclusion to the “Soy Rebelde” Tour that brought the pop band together for the first time in 15 years.

But none were more thrilling than the King of Pop. In 1993 as part of his Dangerous World Tour, Michael Jackson performed five shows at the Azteca, selling out each one. That means more than half a million people witnessed his greatness in Mexico City. The venue was packed with screaming fans as Jackson wowed with renditions of “Jam,” “Billie Jean,” and “Black or White” complete with pyrotechnics and his signature dance moves. There was also a moving performance of “Heal the World” with a prop globe and children dressed in various outfits from different cultures. This run of shows proved Jackson was a man of the people.

Genesis at Manchester United’s Old Trafford

Manchester United’s Old Trafford is one of the most beloved cathedrals of the football world. For all the soccer history that the venue holds, there have been some pretty great concerts throughout the years, too.

The Theater of Dreams held four concerts in three weeks in 2022: a performance from The Killers, two Harry Styles shows and one Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. Another significant show was when Simply Red performed in 1996 to coincide with that year’s EURO tournament and got an introduction from Sir Alex Ferguson himself.

But perhaps the best concert held at Old Trafford was Genesis in 2007 as part of “Turn It On Again: The Tour.” At the time, the British band had evolved past its prog rock sound and ventured into pop territory, which left many day one fans jaded. But the performance embraced all of the group’s history.

Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford performed hits like “Turn It On Again,” “No Son of Mine,” “Invisible Touch,” and “I Can’t Dance.” A handful of songs became part of the band’s Live Over Europe, 2007 live album. According to blogger James Buckley, even though founding member Peter Gabriel never showed up, Genesis created an evening that was a lifelong memory for the thousands in attendance.

DJ Snake at Paris Saint-Germain’s Parc des Princes

Parc des Princes has seen its fair share of superstars, including the recent two-year spell where Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Neymar joined forces on Paris Saint-Germain. The French stadium has also welcomed music legends like Wu-Tang Clan, Coldplay, and Michael Jackson, who made the venue part of his 1988 world tour.

After Green Day’s show in 2010, the stadium took a break from hosting concerts, with the exception of French singer Jain performing to mark the opening of the 2019 World Cup. And then, of course, the world shut down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So it was extra special when DJ Snake performed at Parc des Princes in 2022 to relaunch their concert programming. The French artist sold out the venue, which has a capacity of 63,000, and the pitch was covered with people. He gave an incredibly energetic set that included “Turn Down for What,” “Lean On” and “You Know You Like It.” Omar Sy partied on stage, David Guetta made a special appearance on the turntables, and Sheck Wes showed up to perform his hit song “Mo Bamba.”

Julio Iglesias at FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou

Camp Nou is another hallowed pitch in the football world. The stadium has seen FC Barcelona win championship after championship and of course has hosted numerous El Clásico matches, but has also bore witness to several memorable concerts.

Stadium organizers decided that Camp Nou should be a concert venue in 1983 and bestowed the honor of the first show to Spanish icon Julio Iglesias. The singer serenaded more than 100,000 people in both Catalan and Spanish that magical night. There was even an appearance from the GOAT Diego Maradona.

Iglesias returned to Camp Nou for another concert in 1988 and other landmark shows held at the stadium include Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, and U2. But you always remember your first.

Oasis at Manchester City’s City of Manchester Stadium

Few bands are as closely linked to a football club as Oasis is to Manchester City, so it was a huge deal when the group performed at City of Manchester Stadium (now Etihad Stadium) in 2005. And they didn’t just do one show, they played all weekend. The performance was recorded for the documentary Oasis: Live from Manchester.

Fans packed the pitch like sardines and got so pumped when Oasis took the stage that security had to fix the barrier less than a minute into the opening song, “Turn Up the Sun.” The band then ran through their catalogue, including, “The Importance of Being Idle,” “Acquiesce,” and “Mucky Fingers” before reaching their megahits “Wonderwall,” “Champagne Supernova,” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” And if that wasn’t enough, they covered The Who’s “My Generation” as the grand finale.

Any concert experience is made special because of the details, including wardrobe. Oasis delivered. Drummer Zak Starkey wore an incredible blue striped suit and Liam Gallagher rocked a bright red leather jacket with a white bucket hat. Perfection.

Queen’s Live Aid set at Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium might be one of the most iconic venues in the entire world. Not only has it hosted once-in-a-lifetime soccer moments like England winning the 1966 men’s World Cup on its home turf, the stadium has been the site of multiple Olympics, 1992’s WWF SummerSlam, and even Evel Knievel.

The best concert to be held at Wembley Stadium was a tough choice. Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Eminem have all sold out the venue and had memorable performances. But there have been several domestic heroes to grace the stage for a full house, including Muse, Oasis, One Direction, and the Spice Girls. Ed Sheeran sold out four straight nights in 2018 as part of his Divide Tour and Take That spent a record eight nights at the venue in 2011 for their Progress Live Tour.

All of the concerts listed above have made their own impact at Wembley, but one stands apart from the rest. Queen’s set at the Live Aid concert in 1985 is widely considered one of the greatest performances in music history. The event marked the group’s reunion with frontman Freddie Mercury. In only 20 minutes, the singer ran through “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Hammer to Fall,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.” He captured the audience of 72,000 fans like few other artists ever have, creating a legacy for himself, the band and the stadium.