A day after Ozzy Osbourne announced that he was bowing out of the Power Trip festival in Indio, California, fellow legendary metal act Judas Priest have been named his replacement.
In revealing that he isn’t physically ready to play the October gig, Ozzy stated, “The band that will be replacing me on Power Trip will be announced shortly. They are personal friends of mine and I can promise that you will not be disappointed.”
That led to wide speculation that Judas Priest would be filling the slot, as Osbourne and Priest frontman Rob Halford are very close friends.
On Tuesday (July 11th) it was officially announced that Judas Priest have indeed been tapped to play the Saturday (October 7th) bill, alongside AC/DC.
“Power Trippers, are you ready for some Judas Priest style heavy metal?,” asked the band in an enthusiastic statement. “We are excited and ready to raise double horns way up high together.”
The rest of Power Trip’s iconic lineup remains intact, with Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden performing on Friday night (October 6th), and Metallica and Tool closing out the three-day event on Sunday (October 8th). Tickets are available here.
Osbourne hasn’t played a full show since 2018. A series of health setbacks and an ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease forced him to cancel the remaining legs of his “No More Tours 2” farewell tour. Among the outings canceled was a UK/European jaunt that would’ve featured Judas Priest as support.
Judas Priest, meanwhile, have been putting the finishing touches on a new album, with guitarist Richie Faulkner recently telling Heavy Consequence that it’s “almost done.” After celebrating their 50th anniversary on tour in 2022, the band currently has a UK/European outing scheduled for 2024. As of now, the Power Trip gig is their only 2023 show on their itinerary.
