The death of Michael Jackson has plunged those involved in organising his upcoming O2 Arena shows into chaos.
Earlier this year Michael Jackson hosted a press conference at the O2 Arena in London, announcing a series of live dates. Titled ‘This Is It’ the shows were to be his last in Britain, and the singer’s first in a decade.
Capturing the public’s imagination orders for tickets flooded in. Stunned by the level of fan adoration, organisers AEG Live added more and more dates until Michael Jackson was left facing a fifty night schedule that stretched into 2010.
Almost immediately problems emerged. A proposed Jackson 5 re-union last year fell through, with the promoters involved taking exception to the singer’s new plans. A legal challenge ensued, which could have seen the O2 Arena shows cancelled.
In addition to this, there were difficulties in organising the shows themselves. Michael Jackson expressed his doubts to fans outside of a dance studio in Los Angeles, arguing that he never wanted to increase the number of shows.
Yet all this is now irrelevant. Michael Jackson’s death yesterday (June 26th) robbed the music world of a mercurial talent, albeit one whose ability has recently been over-shadowed by his private life.
With fans spending a small fortune to attend the shows, there has been considerable concern over the issue of reimbursement. A representative from promoters AEG Live confirmed that an announcement could be made as soon as next Friday.
“At this time our thoughts are with Michael’s children, family and friends. We will announce ticketing details in due course”.
A statement from official ticket seller Ticketmaster said: “Ticketmaster is aware of the news relating to Michael Jackson. We have no official information at this stage.
“As soon as we have any information we will immediately contact all customers who have booked tickets through Ticketmaster or GET ME IN!”
It seems as though tickets bought direct from agencies will be guaranteed. However when Jackson cancelled the opening dates of the residency he faced legal threats from fans who had already booked accommodation.
Many of those planning to attend had bought their tickets from fans and auction sites, often spending a small fortune in the process. With their idol now sadly deceased, it seems that not only will they never witness a potentially remarkable comeback but they will now also lose the money they spent on their tickets.
