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Organizers of Saturday's Michael Jackson tribute event in Cardiff, Wales announced they've sold 40,000 tickets ahead of the Millennium Stadium concert, short of a sellout.
"I'm excited about tomorrow's event, especially with ticket sales going so well," said Chris Hunt, head of organizers Global Events Live. "This is a Jackson family evening. I think it's easy to underestimate this. I think it will be a hugely emotional evening."
However, the admitted sales are still 10,000 short of the 50,000 capacity for the stadium, but organizers remain confident of an eventual full house.
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The event, titled Michael Jackson Forever, has been criticized for its timing, overlapping with the involuntary manslaughter trial of the singer's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, in Los Angeles.
Although brothers Tito, Marlon, Jackie, sister La Toya, and mother Katherine have all confirmed their attendance, brothers Randy and Jermaine and sister Janet have declined to attend, citing "bad timing."
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Actor and singer Jamie Foxx is set to co-host the event with BBC Radio-1 presenter Fearne Cotton. Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, and Smokey Robinson will perform live at the event, among others, while Beyonce will perform via live video stream. The Black Eyed Peas were also scheduled to perform live, but pulled out earlier this week due to "unavoidable circumstances."
Profits will raise money for charities, including the AIDS Project and the Prince's Trust. The show will be broadcast online worldwide.
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