Watch: Bird’s eye view of Black Sabbath Bench on Broad Street in Birmingham seen as never before

A dramatic new video showcasing the world-famous Black Sabbath Bench in Birmingham from the air has been launched.

Westside Business Improvement District (BID) commissioned the footage to help publicise the exact location of the bench for the thousands of visitors who come to the UK’s second city to find it.

The 136-second video is filmed with the haunting soundtrack Scent of Dark in the background, used with the special permission of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. It has been released Birmingham Royal Ballet begins its Black Sabbath - The Ballet rehearsals at the Hippodrome, with the show open to the public this September.

The Broad Street Bench footage begins by rising up above the beginning of Broad Street at the Centenary Square end, flanked by the Hyatt Hotel and Symphony Hall. It then travels up Broad Street depicting a bird’s eye view of the Black Sabbath Bridge, where the bench is located.

The next scene begins beyond Gas Street Basin and flies through the canal tunnel under the bridge, then quickly switches to an approach from the Brindleyplace end, this time suddenly pulling up and onto the bridge.

More aerial views are shown before the drone-mounted camera helicopters down to the bench for close-up scene hovering along its length, picking out the names and faces of Geezer, Ozzy, Tony and Bill.

The camera then helicopters back up, down and around the bench, showing off the mixture of historical and modern buildings that flank its cross-shaped street and canal location, and climaxing with moody clouds on the skyline.

Adam Marshall, an amateur photographer and videographer, explained that he waited for a bright day with dramatic clouds and blue sky to film the video in early April 2023. He said: “The filming took place using a drone that flew up and down Broad Street and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, through Brindleyplace and under the bridge into Gas Street Basin, highlighting the cross shape where the bench sits.”

Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, said: “This is a spectacular video which really captures the drama, suspense and excitement behind the Black Sabbath Bench. Since we created and unveiled the bench, hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world have come to Birmingham to see it.

“This new bird’s eye view video does two things: first, it enables people to experience the bench from their own homes, wherever they may be on the globe. But second, and more importantly, it gives visitors the precise visual guidance to find the bench, whether it be by road, footpath or canal, and adds that extra dramatic element to their adventure.”

Mr Olley added: “We are so grateful for the cooperation of Tony Iommi, who has kindly allowed us to use his Scent of Dark soundtrack for the video, and this just shows how much the bench means to him and everyone involved with Black Sabbath.”