I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but things have been pretty crazy in the Los Angeles area since Michael Jackson died on June 25th; around the world, really.
Michael Jackson’s family and AEG (the company promoting Michael’s comeback tour in the UK) noticed the chaos and they’re doing everything in their power to assure a safe memorial service while at the same time pleasing the fans and making things as fair as possible when it comes to ticket distribution.
Personally, I think they’ve come up with a good idea. Obviously not every single fan can attend the Staples Center Michael Jackson memorial on Tuesday July 7th, so the Jackson family and AEG have decided to have a Michael Jackson memorial lottery.
Tim Leiweke, the President of AEG, announced that the Jackson family, AEG, and the City of Los Angeles are working together to provide Michael Jackson’s fans with a celebration of the star’s life that everyone can be a part of. Leiweke made it a point to note that Michael Jackson’s family has put up the money for a free pool feed on every network that is broadcasting the service live. This move, no doubt, is to prevent fans without tickets from showing up at the Staples Center creating havoc and unsafe conditions.
Leiweke also stressed that no Michael Jackson funeral tickets will be sold – they are all free to the winners of the lottery.
There are a total of 17,500 tickets available – 11,000 for the Staples Center, and 6,500 for the Nokia Theater adjacent to Staples, where there will be a simulcast of the memorial service.
For those who want Michael Jackson funeral tickets, visit StaplesCenter.com and enter the Michael Jackson memorial lottery.
On Sunday 8,750 names will be drawn at random and the winners will be notified by email and given a special code. Those who won will then go to Ticketmaster.com where they will enter the code and receive information on the location where they will pick up their ticket and wristband.
The remaining 8,750 Michael Jackson funeral tickets will be given to Michael’s family and friends.
There will be absolutely no tickets given away at the Staples Center and no broadcasting from outside.
There will not be a funeral procession and the LAPD will be putting up barricades surrounding the Staples Center on Tuesday.
Given the fact that I live nowhere near the Staples Center, and there’s now way I would be able to get the time off work, I think it’s safe to say that I will not be entering the Michael Jackson memorial lottery.
Instead, I’ll find a TV channel or website that will be broadcasting it and watch the service that way.
It sounds like everyone involved in the planning and follow through of the memorial service is really trying to give the fans what they want – without the insanity.
AEG recently released video of Michael Jackson’s last rehearsal, filmed just two days before his death. By all accounts Michael Jackson was in good spirits that night and looking forward to making his grand comeback.