Michael Jackson taken to last concert

The body of Michael Jackson was this evening taking centre stage at a memorial concert in Los Angeles for his final send-off.

More than 250,000 fans lined the streets and tens of millions more watched on TV around the world, with BBC2 clearing its schedules to televise the event.

Police said they had made plans for a "heavy motorcade" with Swat teams as escort to take his gold-lined coffin the 11 miles from a private family funeral service to a concert hall at the Staples Centre arena. The front row of the hall and stage were decked in flowers.

The entertainment website TMZ, which broke the news of the singer's death 12 days ago, said there were also contingency plans to use a helicopter to fly the body to Staples if crowd safety became an issue. Limousines carrying members of Jackson's family arrived at the Forest Lawn cemetery at which about 100 people were present. Local television showed numerous cars driving in and out of the Jackson family compound in the Los Angeles suburbs.

It was unclear whether the £18,000 coffin would be open or closed.

Last night, the Jackson family, including the singer's two older children Prince Michael, twelve, and Paris, eleven, gathered for a private viewing of the coffin at the cemetery. Sisters Janet and LaToya Jackson with parents Joe and Katherine and the late star's five brothers were also at the service with a few close friends.

Some 18,000 fans who got tickets will crowd into the Staples Centre and a nearby overflow theatre for the two-hour ceremony. Sources say the body will be returned to the cemetery after the extravaganza, but there has been no information about the burial. The body could be stored at Forest Lawn until Jackson's eventual burial there. Another possibility is that Jackson's body could be cremated and his ashes buried at his Neverland Ranch near Santa Barbara.

City officials are estimating the cost of the event to Los Angeles at nearly $4 million and are asking fans to make tax deductible donations to help pay for it.

Pop music singers Mariah Carey, Usher and Jennifer Hudson will mix with Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder at the event. The service was expected to feature performances and eulogies. Also on the bill is Britain's Got Talent finalist Shaheen Jafargholi. The Jackson family told the 12-year-old from Swansea that his hero loved watching him on YouTube.

Hotels throughout the area have already filled up and local police warned those without tickets to stay away.

British Airways reported a surge of bookings as soon as the memorial arrangements were announced. Paul Charles, a BA spokesman, said: "This is America's version of Princess Diana. People want to be in the vicinity."

A British fan who travelled all the way to Los Angeles in the hope of getting a ticket to the memorial struck lucky after he was offered one by a stranger. Melvin Price from Northampton registered for the ticket lottery but failed to win. He then caught a flight to California where he joined the crowds outside the Staples Centre. As he stood outside Barbara Ramirez, a fan with a ticket who could not make the ceremony, offered him hers for free.

Jackson died aged 50 on 25 June from a heart attack while preparing for a series of London concerts.

Dame Elizabeth Taylor, 77, one of his closest friends, said she would not be at the event.