MONTREAL, January 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Premiere performance at London's O2 Arena on October 12

The Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil announced today that the European tour of Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour™ will begin in October 2012 following its highly successful North American tour, which has thrilled more than 600,000 people since the October 2011 World Premiere in Montreal. This once-in-a-lifetime electrifying production combines the excitement and innovation of Michael Jackson's music and choreography with Cirque du Soleil's unparalleled creativity to give fans worldwide a unique view into the spirit, passion and heart of the artistic genius who forever transformed global pop culture. Written and directed by Jamie King, the show includes more than 60 international dancers, musicians and acrobats.

The European tour of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour will premiere in London at the O2 Arena on October 12, 2012 with a charity benefit as part of the opening night festivities.

The tour will then travel to select cities in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Spain. Additional cities and dates will be announced in the coming months.

A riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael's creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down, Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour unfolds Michael Jackson's artistry before the eyes of the audience. Aimed at lifelong fans as well as those experiencing Michael's creative genius for the first time, the show captures the essence, soul and inspiration of the King of Pop, celebrating a legacy that continues to transcend generations.

The Immortal World Tour takes place in a fantastical realm where we discover Michael's inspirational wellspring of creativity. The secrets of Michael's inner world are unlocked-his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature.

The underpinnings of The Immortal World Tour are Michael Jackson's powerful, inspirational music and lyrics-the driving force behind the show-brought to life in Michael's own voice backed by some of the very musicians  who accompanied him in concert with extraordinary power and breathless intensity. Through unforgettable performances Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour underscores Michael's global messages of love, peace and unity. This innovative reimagining of Michael's music, overseen by musical designer Kevin Antunes, can be found on the Epic Records release Immortal both in single disc and deluxe double disc.

Writer and Director Jamie King is a multiple Emmy Award® and MTV Video Music Award® nominee and has choreographed some of the most popular music videos and directed some of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. For the past 12 years, he has served as Madonna's creative director, and most recently directed world tours for Rihanna, Celine Dion, Spice Girls and Britney Spears. King has worked with an array of superstars including Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Shakira, George Michael, Elton John, Diana Ross and Jennifer Lopez. This is Jamie's first show with Cirque du Soleil.

For tour schedule and ticket information, please visit http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/michaeljackson.

FALL 2012 EUROPEAN TOUR SCHEDULE
October  12            London, UK - O2 Arena
October 24 - 25        Herding, DK - Jyske Bank Boxen
October 27 - 28        Copenhagen, DK - Parken
November 2 - 3         Stockholm, SWE - Ericsson Globe Arena
November 6             Helsinki, FIN - Hartwall Areena
November 16 - 17       Frankfurt, DE - Festhalle
November 20 - 21       Oberhausen, DE - Koenig-Pilsener
November 24 - 25       Munich, DE - Olympichalle
November 28            Hannover, DE - TUI Arena
December 1 -2          Vienna, AT - Stadhalle
December 5 -6          Manheim, DE - SAP Arena
December 8- 9          Leipzig, DE - Leipzig Arena
December 11 - 12       Hamburg, DE - O2 World-Hamburg  Arena
December 15 - 16       Cologne, DE - Lanxess Arena
December 19 - 20       Berlin, DE - O2 World Arena
December 27 - 30       Madrid, ES - Palacio Deportes

About Cirque du Soleil

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over 40 countries on six continents. In 2012, Cirque du Soleil will present simultaneously 22 different shows around the world.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit http://www.cirquedusoleil.com

For information about ONE DROP, please visit http://www.onedrop.org.

DOWNLOADABLE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS

Promo Roll (PAL):
http://media-world-http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/public-materials/michael-jackson-tour/mj_PROMO_MEDIA_PAL.zip
Format: Quicktime H264 (.mov / mp4), Resolution : 1920X1080, Bitrate: 30MB/S

Photos:

http://media-world-http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/public-materials/michael-jackson-tour/mj-official-photos.zip
Photo Credit: Photos: OSA Images / Costumes: Zaldy Goco / ©2011 Cirque-Jackson I.P., LLC

Media Contact:
Maxime Charbonneau
Maxime.charbonneau@cirquedusoleil.com

SOURCE Cirque Du Soleil