‘Thousands’ Up For Jacko Tribute

Thousands have bought tickets for the Michael Jackson tribute show at Schönbrunn Palace in Austria Sept. 26, but at press time it wasn’t known exactly how many thousands.

Press reports say so many fans hit the Web site offering the tickets – which range from euro 60 ($85) to more than euro 500 ($712) – that it crashed more than half an hour before the sale was to start Au. 20.

The higher-end tickets include a Vienna City bus pass. The palace grounds can hold 85,000 people.

Michael’s brother Jermaine, who is said to have chosen the 17th century Viennese palace because his brother “loved castles,” is expected to name the performers in the next two weeks.

Jermaine chose the venue after collecting a Save The World Award on behalf of his late brother July 24.

The awards were organized by Vienna-based World Awards Media GmbH, which is also handling the Jacko tribute, and held at the old Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant in Lower Austria.

Before the awards, there were what turned out to be unfounded rumours that Madonna and Whitney Houston would be on the bill.

There’s speculation that both acts, along with Lionel Richie and U2, will be at Schönbrunn in September.