Michael Jackson's Memorial: Huge Crowds, Lottery Tickets

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles city officials are preparing for massive crowds downtown during Tuesday's public memorial for Michael Jackson at Staples Center, even though only 17,500 tickets are being offered to the public.

Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger says anywhere from a quarter-million to 700,000 people may try to reach the arena, even though a wide area around Staples Center will be sealed off to those without tickets.

City Councilwoman Jan Perry strongly urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on TV. The ceremony will not be shown on Staples' giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city.

But public safety officials appeared to assume their requests to stay home would have little effect. Since Jackson's death, fans have flocked to Jackson sites from Los Angeles to his Neverland Ranch in rural Santa Barbara County.

Staples Center is offering the memorial tickets through an Internet lottery. Eleven thousand tickets are for the arena and 6,500 for the adjacent Nokia Theatre.

People who want tickets must register on the Web at Staplescenter.com. After 6 p.m. Saturday, 8,750 names will be randomly selected to receive two tickets each. Notifications will go out on Sunday.

After the ticketing details were announced on television, it became impossible to log on to the arena's Web site.

Brent Trueheart, 20, of Los Angeles, went online on his cellphone immediately after hearing the announcement.

"It kept saying 'service unavailable, service unavailable,' and finally it got through. So once it got through, I started celebrating," he said. "It feels real good."

No details were given about the actual memorial events.

The memorial comes as the nation's second-largest city struggles with a $530 million budget deficit.

Perry said the cost of police protection for "extraordinary" events like the memorial is built into the Police Department's budget, but she still solicited help for "incremental costs."

Last month, donations covered about $850,000 of the city's $1 million cost for the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA championship parade. Critics had blasted the idea of using city money when it is considering layoffs to close its budget gap.

Comments

[DianaMB]

1.6 million registered for a ticket. The ones chosen should get 24 hours to respond and then they should go to a second round of winners. I also read that the Jackson family have reserved 9,000 of their own for fmaily and friends.

[aquarius64]

how is security handled here? There are a lot of foreign visitors for this memorial? Anyone in charge working with Homeland Security?

[SusiePundant]

What is hard to believe is that celebrities esp in Hollywood haven't stepped up to the plate to cover the expenses that the MJ Memorial will cost the city of LA. Where are all the well paid Movie stars, music, politicians ect... in California. What about your fans ? It will bring nothing but goodwill to step-up and donate to cover the cost involved. Contact the news outlets. They will publish your name and probably your up and coming projects. 1.4 million fans willing to spend hard earned money to attend the service. How symbolic to the Jackson family and fans, when our economy is in the tank. This is your industry, you all love MJ as much as the every day people, you are in a position to make a difference.

[missviv]

I can't even begin to imagine what a nightmare driving around downtown LA is going to be like on Tuesday... as if it wasn't unbearable 90%of the time already! I understand people want to mourn their idol, but in a city with a traffic flow that is already migraine inducing on a pretty much any day of the week... this seems absolutely ridiculous!

[OhioGal43021]

Stop blaming the Jackson family for the limited access to the memorial service. It is LA and the AEG people who are limiting attendance. Considering the time frame and circumstances involved with the city of LA, I thought the lottery approach was a pretty decent and fair idea.

[Bulbul]

On the eve of Michael`s memorial, when the whole world is celebrating Michaels life..
The media , particularly CNN with Tuben and ABC with that Martin Bashir with negative footage shows these are the bloodsucking leeches and thumbs down to them...

[Sportswoman]

My friend and I are supposed to go to the Sparks game tomorrow night. I'm a bit worried aboutthe crowds already assembling­...

[joy316]

Don't I was there today and the people were absolutely wonderful, I think the city is selling itself short by limiting the participation of the fans. There are people from all over the world who want nothing more than to pay their last respect to Michael Jackson and he would never let down his fans. Think about all the hotel, food and tax revenue they are turning away! Why not allow all that want to watch the funeral procession line the streets of LA and show the world what a great city we really have?

[HotheadPaisen]

All you people who are trashing him, I guess you have to do something to feel superior. Must suck to be you.
Meanwhile, I'm rediscovering a lot of his stuff that I somehow missed amid all the Thriller and Bad flash.
For those who love him, besides the sequins and high kicks,don't forget this little gem;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOZvQFdhM5I

[Dunbar]

I have too. I've been on this journey of rediscovery and found a good many songs I had missed. I've fallen in love with "Earth Song."

Plus, he made some awesome videos all through the 90s...

[Ecoutez]

Thank you HotheadPaisen. I viewed this previously and it is one of his best videos. I cried throughout and remembered he had commented this was his most autobiographical song. Oh, the pure love he had to share....n­ow we're sending Peter Pan off on his journey with enormous love to EVERland. Bless you MJ.....nev­er can say goodbye...­.never will.

[SvrWx]

I find it appalling that more people registered to get the tickets to the memorial service than did to vote in the last election.

[7tsgirl]

There is no age requirement to register and also they opened it up for people overseas! So just relax.

[deluk]

Yawn. (again)

Please let the British fans attend, and then keep them.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/michael-jackson-bad-and-very-dangerous-1731258.html

NOT a tabloid

[johnnygoodwud]

what's the price for scalped tickets right now?

[spankies space]

Miss you Michael. Rest in peace. Beautiful rendition of Michael's Happy Song.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xeg7J9CCEAg

[shaaronie]

"Whose paying for this?" Well if the throngs of people expected to come actually materializes, this should be a tourism boost for LA. They should be greatful!

[SvrWx]

It will be a tourism boost, but what bothers me is that California has to issue IOU's to pay it's bills but how much are they chipping into this memorial service, not including all the police presence and/or overtime for the police.

[Dunbar]

Why don't they just charge a nominal fee for the tickets -- say $20.00 and that could pay for the police, etc. Seems like a solution to me.

[yvonne61]

I wish i can be there to feel the love for the king of pop.

[ccmd]

i really wish you people stop calling him "jacko"

[Chinmusic]

How about Wackojacko.

[sexyrexy]

look whose talking??? going by your pic !!!!

[Ecoutez]

How totally corny you are.

[blaqntelligence]

They can't.

[blaqntelligence]

I've posted this before and it bears repeating:

The driving need to show such scorn for a dead man says far more about your small and petty nature than it does about all the cosmetic surgeries and turmoil in Michael Jackson's life.
He has the entire world mourning his death.
How many can you say the same when YOU die?
How many people will truly mourn you?
Miss you?
Not only love you but forgive YOUR shortcomings simply because you contributed so much to their lives?
Defend and support you as loyally as any member of their family?
Spend time not only thinking about, but sharing just how much you touched them?
Will you have touched anyone?
Instead of insulting a dead man, why not began work on your own legacy?
This sentiment applies to all who feel the need to continue the unrelenting demonizing of Michael Jackson.
He is dead! Your work here is done!

[OhioGal43021]

I think Michael said it best...

No message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change