Fans gear up for Jackson memorial service and funeral

Final preparations are underway at the Staples Arena in Los Angeles for a star-studded memorial service for Michael Jackson.

Those fans lucky enough to get tickets in the Internet draw have been collecting them but some have already made a fortune by reselling. For some though, a ticket to the show is something money can’t buy:

“I’m not going to call them scum…but they weren’t true Michael Jackson fans. I have the hottest ticket on the planet right now…that is for sure, and it is priceless, I would never give it up for any amount,” was the opinion of one woman whom reporters asked.

Others have been arriving from out of town, overjoyed to have won a place at the farewell ceremony.

Meanwhile, across town at court, the legal repercussions from Jackson’s death continue. A judge has ordered that the star’s mother Katherine be replaced as administrator of his estate

It is likely that Jackson will be buried at LA’s Forest Lawns cemetery alongside showbiz legends like Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr and Errol Flynn.

Officials in LA are preparing for huge crowds for the concert – some estimate up to 700,000.

Guests already confirmed include Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Michael Jackson death, Music, USA