Michael Jackson mania took over London this week as the king of pop made a five minute appearance to announce ten farewell shows. There were scenes of extreme excitement as hundreds of fans cheered and wept while the Thriller singer informed he'll be performing his last ever British shows, kicking off on July 8.
"These are my final shows and performances in London… I'll be playing the songs my fans want to hear," he told the audience, many of whom had been waiting for hours in the rain to hear the address. "This is it really it. This is the final curtain call. I'll see you in July and I love you from the bottom of my heart."
His promoters later confirmed that after the shows - which are understood to be netting him £50 million - he will never sing another note on UK soil. The option has been left open for further gigs in other parts of the world, however.
The 50-year-old singer, clad in his trademark sunglasses and an embroidered black satin military jacket, was visibly moved by the crowd's repeated cries of "We love you!". He held his hands to his heart before announcing the run of concerts, which will be entitled the This Is It Tour: History In The Making. The last time Michael toured was 12 years ago.
There are about 20,000 tickets - priced between £50 and £75 - available for each O2 Arena show. They are expected to sell out in seconds when they go on sale at 7am on Friday, March 13.
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
