Vienna’s Jackson Tribute Moved to London … Next June

Too many of the show’s biggest performers had scheduling conflicts.

If you were planning on attending the the Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna later this month, not so fast.

 

The concert — originally to be held outside the 17th-century Schoenbrunn Palace in has been moved to London’s Wembley Stadium.

 

In June 2010.

 

Too many of the show’s biggest performers had scheduling conflicts, event promoter Georg Kindel and Jackson’s brother Jermaine told reporters on Friday.

 

"Renowned artists of the tribute were disrespectfully treated as B-list artists or even losers," Kindel added. "We are going to a place where these artists are greatly appreciated and where Michael Jackson wanted to start his comeback tour."

 

Tickets for the London concert will go on sale Dec. 1, with prices starting at 44 pounds ($73). All of those who purchased tickets for the Vienna event will receive refunds, Kindel said.

 

Over the last week, there were a number of conflicting reports about who would be attending the event. Jermaine Jackson and Kindel held a news conference earlier in the week announcing the performers, which included Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, and Natalie Cole.

 

 

After that announcement, they held subsequent news conferences throughout the week reiterating that Brown and Blige would participate in the concert despite the fact that both performers denied any confirmed involvement.

 

Blige was booked for a Gucci show in Milan, Italy on the evening of the Vienna tribute and on Thursday, Cole said she had a prior engagement with the Dalai Lama in Tennessee on the evening of the Vienna tribute.

 

Meanwhile, Brown is on probation after his battery incident with R&B singer Rihanna and had not filed the paperwork that would allow him to leave the U.S.

 

"The purpose for this show is to give something back to the fans … we have to do this right," said Jermaine Jackson, who cried at one point during the news conference. "It’s not about name-dropping."

 

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