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| Michael Jackson Memorial Confirmed For Staples Center July 7 Posted: 02 Jul 2009 11:21 PM PDT Service will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES — Organizers and representatives for the Jackson family have confirmed memorial services for Michael Jackson will take place Tuesday (July 7) inside the Staples Center. The announcement ended days of speculation about how the King of Pop would be memorialized. Fans will be able to attend after registering for free tickets at StaplesCenter.com beginning Friday morning, and registration will run until Saturday evening at 6 p.m. On Sunday fans will be notified and receive information on how to pick up tickets on Monday. The registration process is elaborate and has caused the site to crash once already — but the Jackson family insisted on a process that was democratic and fair, taking into consideration the many fans expected to arrive in Los Angeles for the memorial.
"It was our wish to allow as many of Michael's fans to be a part of the memorial, and we wish to thank everyone for their support and understanding at this difficult time," the Jackson family said in a statement. Only 17,500 tickets will be given away, with 11,000 entrants able to go inside the arena and the remaining 6,500 ushered just across the street to the Nokia Theater where the proceedings will be simulcast. There are no guarantees for fans who register online and only 8,750 people will be selected randomly by a computer-generated program. Each selected fan will receive two tickets and two wristbands. No further details regarding the service were announced. At a press conference held outside of the Staples Center, Jackson family representative Ken Sunshine said the plans are still being developed. Sunshine said he hopes the ticket process is handed with "dignity" and that tickets not be resold or counterfeited. L.A. city councilwoman Jan Perry said the city's budget anticipates extraordinary circumstances and will pay for police protection on site. Perry asked interested donors to contact her if they wish to support other anticipated costs. She and a police spokesperson on hand urged fans to not attend the venue without a ticket. Both parties said should fans not secure tickets, the best place to view the service is from home. Organizers stressed that the services would not be broadcast live outside the venue as previously reported, and again urged fans without tickets to stay away from the area on Tuesday. MTV, VH1 and VH1 Classic will be airing the Michael Jackson memorial service live beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday. For continuing updates about the service as they become available, please continue to check MTVNews.com For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| Planning Michael Jackson's Memorial A 'Phenomenal Undertaking' Posted: 03 Jul 2009 02:19 AM PDT While the Staples Center holds 20,000, it's been estimated that 750,000 fans will make their way to Los Angeles for the memorial.
LOS ANGELES — Now that the Jackson family has officially confirmed the memorial service for Michael Jackson will be taking place at the Staples Center, plans are underway to prepare the area for the onslaught of visitors, both invited and uninvited, expected to make their way to downtown Los Angeles next week. Only 17,500 tickets will be made available to Jackson fans through an online drawing, with 11,000 mourners allowed inside the Staples Center and the rest of the 6,500 attendees sent across Chick Hearn Court to watch a live simulcast inside the Nokia Theater. The total capacity for the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, is approximately 20,000.
According to previous reports, however, an estimated 750,000 people from around the world are expected to travel to the city for the proceedings. On Friday (July 3), both L.A. city councilwoman Jan Perry and a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, Earl Pacinger, spoke at a press conference outside of the Staples Center and urged fans to stay away from the venue on Tuesday should they not receive a ticket. Pacinger called the planning for Tuesday's event a "phenomenal undertaking." According to Pacinger, police will block off a large area outside of the arena that appears to be four times the radius of the Staples Center compound. But the size of the plazas outside of the Staples Center and the Nokia Theater pale in comparison to public areas around the world like New York's Times Square or London's Trafalgar Square. In addition, during the preparation that will take place over the holiday weekend, arena officials will have to deal with an Anime Expo taking place right next door at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A number of those attendees travel directly through Star Plaza, in front of the Staples Center, to make their way to the convention center. The expo ends on Sunday afternoon. On Tuesday, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was previously expected to move into the Staples Center to prepare for a short run at the arena that was to begin on Wednesday. But AEG Live, the controlling company that owns the Staples Center, reportedly asked the circus to set up shop later than expected. The preparation for the memorial service will be anything but easy. The Staples Center is not located in a very open area, resting between a number of other buildings nearby. Pacinger said fans without wristbands and tickets and media without proper credentials for the service would not be allowed anywhere near the arena. Police will be enforcing the restricted area. Councilwoman Perry reiterated the city's concern about the expected turnout, saying, "We cannot jeopardize the health and safety of the public. Without a ticket, the best option for viewing the services for this extraordinary individual is at home." MTV, VH1 and VH1 Classic will be airing the Michael Jackson memorial service live beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday. For continuing updates about the service as they become available, please continue to check MTVNews.com For complete coverage of the life, career and passing of the legendary entertainer, visit "Michael Jackson Remembered." Share your Michael Jackson memories by uploading video and comments to Your.MTV.com or joining the discussion below. Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
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