Rush for Jacko memorial tickets begins
Only US residents with tickets secured through an online ballot will be allowed in to the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.
Other fans of the King of Pop will be able to watch Tuesday’s event from their homes as organisers announced it will be broadcast around the world.
The stadium’s website temporarily crashed within moments of AEG Live president and chief executive Tim Leiweke announcing the opening of registration for the draw.
He said 17,500 free tickets will be available in pairs for Jackson’s fans — 11,000 of which will admit entrance to the Staples Centre itself, with 6,500 places to watch on screens at the nearby Nokia theatre.
Registration will end at 2am tomorrow Irish time, with the 8,750 successful applicants drawn at random and then notified by email between 7pm tomorrow and 4am Monday.
Leiweke said: “First off, our thoughts and our prayers are with the family, all of the Jackson family, and in particular with Michael Jackson’s fans.
“It is the family’s wish to create a service and a celebration that all of Michael’s fans around the world can be part of. Thus the family has made arrangements to provide a worldwide pool feed to every network for free.
“The family has also made available 17,500 tickets for Michael’s fans to be part of this service.”
No information was given about what the memorial service will involve.
Jackson’s legion of fans have been descending on Los Angeles since his sudden death on June 25 after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest.
City officials are encouraging people to stay away unless they had tickets for the memorial as strict checks will be in place.
Meanwhile, a law enforcement official said the powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Jackson’s home. Diprivan is an anaesthetic widely used in operating theatres to induce unconsciousness.
Footage of the singer rehearsing at the Staples Centre two days before his death showed him in full flow as he danced around the stage.
Uri Geller, a friend of the singer, said the footage raised a “big question” about what prompted the star’s dramatic demise.
Kevin Mazur, 48, the photographer from Wire-Image who captured some of Jackson’s final moments told the Daily Mirror: “When he hit that stage, everyone was just mesmerised.”
It emerged yesterday that America’s anti-drugs agency, the Drug Enforcement Administration, is investigating Jackson’s death.
Cherilyn Lee, a nurse working for Jackson, said the singer was so distraught over persistent insomnia that he pleaded for Diprivan which she refused to give him.
Meanwhile, a US judge delayed a guardianship hearing for Jackson’s children until July 13.
Lawyer Eric George said Rowe had not made a final decision on whether to seek custody of the two children she had with Jackson.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
