Jackson memorial set for Tuesday at Staples Center

07-04-2009 | AP

The last goodbye could be a crowded farewell. Over 100,000 expected

Panama Star LOS ANGELES. The question of when and where a public memorial service will be held for Michael Jackson has finally been answered. But how city officials will handle the likelihood of a massive crowd remains to be settled.

A public memorial for the late singer has been set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to a press release from the office of the Jackson family's publicist.

A press conference to announce further details was planned for Friday.

Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, which owns the Staples Center and was Jackson's promoter, said tickets would be free. He was not sure how they would be distributed.

Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said plans for the memorial are clearly moving forward, but he wished there had been more time to work out the logistics for such a huge event.

"If you can imagine 100,000 people show up and you have 20,000 capacity (at the Staples Center), there is not sufficient room.

Now you have a crowd-control problem," he said. With the July Fourth holiday weekend "it's the worst time.. to work something out."

He also said he's concerned about the cost of police overtime for the cash-strapped city.

Jackson's brother Jermaine told Larry King during Thursday's broadcast of CNN's "Larry King Live," that there will be a private ceremony for family and some special guests before the public memorial, according to show transcripts.

He added the family wants to have other memorials around the United States.