This Is It (Michael Jackson concerts)
| Residency show by Michael Jackson | |
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| Location | London, United Kingdom |
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| Venue | The O2 Arena |
| Start date | July 13, 2009 |
| End date | March 6, 2010 |
| Legs | 2 |
| No. of shows | 50 (cancelled) |
| Website | Official website |
| Michael Jackson concert chronology | |
This Is It was a planned residency show of 50 concerts by Michael Jackson at the O2 Arena in London, scheduled to run from July 2009 to March 2010. The shows were to be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the HIStory World Tour finished in 1997. With all concerts sold out, Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest and died less than three weeks before the first concert was scheduled to begin.
Jackson announced This Is It at a press conference in the O2 Arena, stating that it would be his final series of concerts in London. AEG Live, the concert promoters, released a promotional video that took up an entire commercial break, setting a record for ITV. Initially only 10 concerts were announced, but following public demand 40 more concerts were added. Ticket sales broke several records and Jackson's album sales increased following the announcement; AEG Live estimated that the first 10 dates alone would have earned Jackson approximately £50 million.
In preparation for the concert series, Jackson had been collaborating with high-profile figures including fashion designer Christian Audigier, choreographer Kenny Ortega and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. Prior to Jackson's death, Allgood Entertainment sued Jackson for $40 million, claiming that he had breached an exclusivity agreement with them by agreeing to the This Is It concerts. The case was dismissed.
After Jackson's death, AEG Live offered either refunds to ticket holders or a special "souvenir" ticket designed by Jackson. The cancelled shows, record-breaking ticket sales and potential for a world tour made This Is It "the greatest concert[s] that never happened."Columbia Pictures acquired the footage of the rehearsals and released a concert film, Michael Jackson's This Is It, accompanied by a compilation album of the same name.
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