Los Angeles - Fans heading to Los Angeles for Michael Jackson's memorial extravaganza have been urged to stay away as organisers said tickets for the event would be allocated by an online lottery.

While 17,500 tickets are being offered to the public for the memorial to be staged at Staples Centre in the city on Tuesday, police are expecting anywhere from 250,000 to 700,000 people to try to reach the arena.

However, in a clear attempt to deter large numbers of ticketless fans from besieging the venue and creating a logistical nightmare, city officials said on Friday that the entire area would be put on lockdown.

'If you do not have a ticket, not only will you not be allowed at these venues, you will not be allowed in this area,' said Los Angeles Police Department chief Earl Paysinger.

The warning came as officials revealed that tickets for the event would be distributed via an Internet lottery, with fans registering at the Staples Centre's website to enter a draw from Friday onwards.

About 11,000 tickets would be made available for the event inside the main venue, while an additional 6,500 tickets would be distributed for fans watching a live feed at the neighbouring Nokia Theatre.

Within minutes of the draw being announced, the Staples Centre website crashed. Representatives for the Jackson family later said that the site had received 500 million hits in less than two hours.

AEG, the company that operates the Staples Centre, also changed the registration rules to allow non-US residents to register for the draw, said a statement from Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine.

The decision to hold an online draw disappointed fans already gathered at the Staples Centre, some of whom had flown into Los Angeles from overseas in anticipation of the event.

City Council representative Jan Perry strongly urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on television.

The ceremony will not be shown on Staples' giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city.

The Jackson family earlier quashed the idea of a public viewing and private service at the singer's Neverland Ranch, which would pose logistical problems because of its remote location in the ritzy Santa Barbara wine country. -- AFP, AP

Please read the full report in today's edition of The Sunday Times.