The Jacko effect

Billion pound Michael Jackson 'economic stimulus package' is coming

07 May 2009 - The Michael Jackson residency at the 02 Arena is going to give a billion pound boost to the economy, according to the second-hand ticket website Seatwave.

It kicks off in London on 8 July, taking in 50 dates until February next year.

Joe Cohen, chief executive of Seatwave, explained to 6 Music: “There’s gonna be somewhere near on a billion pounds worth of economic activity brought to London through hotels, restaurants, shops, pubs, people coming to see Michael Jackson.

“It’s the Michael Jackson economic stimulus package that the tax payer isn’t paying a penny for.”

Ticket trading

Seatwave revealed it has already traded 10,000 tickets for the gigs.

In spite of the number of tickets out there, people have been buying and selling in their thousands, said Cohen: “We’ve sold in the neighbourhood of 10,000 tickets so far.

“Depending on the reviews are after the first couple of shows, we think that number should have at least doubled by the end of the run.

“I’m not surprised at all this is the most popular performer of a generation who hasn’t performed for a very long time and may not perform again for a very long time, if ever.”

Cohen claimed a third of the buying and selling that is going on at Seatwave is between people trying to upgrade their tickets for better seats.

Doubt has been cast on whether the singer will be able to sustain such a long series of comeback dates, after photographs emerged of the 50 year-old looking frail, but Cohen reckons there’s no cause for concern.

“I don’t think that AEG Live would have put this together if they weren’t absolutely confident that Michael Jackson could perform all of these dates to the best of his ability,” he said.

Georgie Rogers