NEW YORK (AFP) - With North America readying for a major solar eclipse, Ozzy Osbourne will celebrate the exact moment by singing Bark At The Moon as the sun disappears.

Moonstock, a new metal festival in Illinois, will take place over four days culminating on Aug 21 with the US-wide eclipse.

Osbourne will take the stage and start his set with Bark, his 1983 song about the wrath of a werewolf-like monster.

The 68-year-old metal legend will need to be punctual as the total eclipse will last two minutes and 29 seconds.

The festival, which recommends that fans wear protective eyewear, will take place at a vineyard near De Soto, Illinois - within the region that will have the best visibility of the eclipse if the weather permits.

Other bands slated to play at the festival include Papa Roach, one of the leading nu metal groups of the 1990s.