About Entertainment – Magazine – Jackson tickets via internet draw

About Entertainment – Magazine –

The Staples Center was where Michael Jackson’s rehearsals were held

Tickets for a public memorial service for Michael Jackson in Los Angeles on Tuesday will be available via the internet, organisers have revealed.

Details were announced by AEG Live, the star’s promoter, which owns the Staples Center where the service will be held.

Eleven thousand free tickets are to be issued for the service.

Fans wishing to attend must register at staplescenter.com for their tickets and names will later be chosen at random, it was announced.

Another 6,500 tickets will be issued for a simulcast of the service at a nearby theatre. It means a total of 17,500 fans will be able to see the events free.

Officials appealed to other fans to watch the memorial service from their own homes, amid fears that thousands of people without tickets could flood the area.

The star had been rehearsing for his London concerts at the Staples Center, in central Los Angeles.

In a press conference, family representative Ken Sunshine said they wanted to accommodate as many fans as possible.

"It is all about the fans," he said.

City officials have expressed concern at marshalling the event, expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators.

Speaking at the press conference, acting Los Angeles mayor Jan Perry urged fans to watch the memorial service from home.