Pumpkins of the Prince: Osbourne Family’s Tearful Tribute at Hampshire’s Ozzy Mural
Under a crisp autumn sky in the heart of England’s New Forest, where golden leaves danced like echoes of rock anthems past, the Osbourne family arrived unannounced at Sunnyfields Farm, their faces a mosaic of grief and gratitude before a colossal canvas of pumpkins that immortalized their fallen patriarch.
A public vote births an unforgettable homage.
Sunnyfields Farm in Totton, Hampshire, has long been a harvest haven, but this October 2025, it transformed into a shrine for the ages. Farm director Thomas Nelson, whose family has cultivated the land since 1990, put the theme to a public poll, and Ozzy Osbourne—the Prince of Darkness—emerged victorious with over 70% of the votes. “Even though we think something is a good idea, it might not be so we put it out to the public,” Nelson told the BBC. On September 30, a team of 16 artists labored for four and a half hours, stacking over 10,000 pumpkins and squashes into a vibrant mural: Ozzy’s grinning visage, round glasses perched on his nose, flanked by three soaring bats against a Black Sabbath backdrop. Unveiled on October 4, the display shattered expectations, drawing 73,000 visitors by mid-month and eclipsing the farm’s 2023 Guinness World Record for the largest cucurbit mosaic.
The Osbournes’ surprise arrival stirs emotion.
On the evening of October 11, as twilight painted the fields in amber, Sharon, Jack, and Kelly Osbourne slipped into the farm’s Pumpkin Time event like ghosts from a cherished memory. Accompanied by Kelly’s fiancé, Slipknot’s Sid Wilson, and their toddler son Sidney, the family—still raw from Ozzy’s death on July 22 after a valiant battle with Parkinson’s and cardiac complications—received a private tour from owners Tom and Ian Nelson. “A close friend of the family for 40 years reached out saying that Sharon wanted to thank us personally,” Nelson shared with Farmers Weekly. The visit, kept low-key amid the farm’s bustling pick-your-own patches, allowed the Osbournes to blend with everyday families, a poignant nod to Ozzy’s own grounding in normalcy despite his larger-than-life legacy.
Tears flow atop the cherry picker.
The emotional pinnacle came as Sharon, 73, and Jack, 40, ascended in a cherry picker for a bird’s-eye view of the masterpiece. From 20 feet up, the mural sprawled like a living tattoo: Ozzy’s mischievous smile rendered in orange hues, his eyes twinkling with the same irreverent spark that once bit the head off a bat onstage. Sharon, ever the rock in the family’s storm, wiped tears with a trembling hand. “It’s beautiful… he would’ve loved this,” she reportedly whispered, her voice cracking as captured in fan videos shared on X. Jack, who produced the 2011 documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, hugged his mother tightly, while Kelly, 41, lingered below with Sidney, snapping photos that later flooded her Instagram with captions like “Dad’s still rocking the harvest.” The moment, raw and unscripted, lasted over an hour, the family wandering the event like any other, savoring hayrides and cider amid the whispers of “Is that…?”
Ozzy’s enduring spirit in autumn’s embrace.
Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham on December 3, 1948, redefined rock with Black Sabbath’s seismic riffs and his solo snarls like “Crazy Train.” His life—a whirlwind of addiction, redemption, and reality TV fame via The Osbournes—culminated in a farewell concert on July 5 at Villa Park, just 17 days before his passing at 76. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019, compounded by spinal surgeries and a 2019 fall, Ozzy’s final years were a testament to resilience, chronicled in the October 7 Paramount+ documentary Ozzy: No Escape From Now and his posthumous memoir Last Rites. This pumpkin tribute, blooming in the season of change, mirrors his duality: the darkness of loss pierced by vibrant, fleeting beauty. “Ozzy’s light still burns bright,” Nelson reflected, as the mural’s colors—deep reds, fiery oranges—evoke the Sabbath stage lights Ozzy once commanded.
A community’s love echoes through the fields.
The visit rippled beyond the farm, igniting global tributes. #OzzyPumpkin trended on X with 2 million mentions, fans stitching clips of the Osbournes’ ascent to “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” Celebrities chimed in: Sharon’s friend Elton John tweeted, “A harvest of the heart—Ozzy’s grinning from the great gig in the sky.” Kelly, fresh from her own cultural moments, posted a family selfie amid the squashes: “Grateful for these seeds of memory.” The farm, expecting record crowds through Halloween on October 31, saw donations spike to its community funds, with proceeds aiding Parkinson’s research—a subtle nod to Ozzy’s battles. Visitors, from metalheads in Sabbath tees to families with toddlers, left notes at the mural’s base: “Forever Mad,” etched in chalk, echoing the pendant Ozzy gifted Sharon.
Legacy blooms in unexpected places.
Sunnyfields’ annual pyramid—past themes like Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas—has evolved into a cultural touchstone, but Ozzy’s eclipses them all. “It’s always risky when you do someone’s face,” Nelson admitted to the Daily Echo, yet the public’s choice underscores the rocker’s grip on the collective soul. For the Osbournes, adrift since that Buckinghamshire morning when Ozzy slipped away surrounded by love, the visit was catharsis: Sharon’s tears a bridge between grief’s abyss and gratitude’s glow. Jack, reflecting on Good Morning America, said, “She’s okay, but she’s not okay. I know she feels the love.” Kelly added on Instagram, “Dad would’ve howled at this—bats and all.”
Harvest of the heart endures.
As October wanes, the mural fades—pumpkins destined for pies and compost—but Ozzy’s essence lingers, a reminder that true icons defy decay. Sharon, Jack, and Kelly left Sunnyfields with baskets of squashes, a tangible piece of the tribute, their laughter mingling with sobs under the Hampshire moon. In a year shadowed by loss—from Ozzy’s final riff to the world’s relentless spin—this pumpkin prince stands eternal: wild, whimsical, and wholly unforgettable. The Prince of Darkness, it seems, has found his autumn throne, where even vegetables bow to the madman who rocked the world.
