Wacko Jacko plays Willy Wonka

Like a real-life Willy Wonka, Michael Jackson is to open his funfair-style Neverland Ranch estate in California to 500 paying guests.

The invitation-only event, set for September 13, is a one-time-only gathering, complete with dinner, magicians, games and a lorry full of stuffed animals, according to Jackson publicist Stuart Backerman.