20 U.K. Jackson concerts added

LONDON, March 12 (UPI) -- Twenty dates have been added to Michael Jackson's previously announced 10-concert run at London's O2 Arena this summer.

But The Times of London warned tickets to the event have already been sold out by primary brokers and the only seats available can be purchased for as much as 10 times the face value through secondary outlets, thanks to a deal promoters AEG Live allegedly made with the online ticket resellers Viagogo. Some tickets close to the stage are reportedly going for thousands of dollars on the Viagogo Web site.

"In an effort to ensure fans are able to purchase premium tickets and exchange tickets directly with other fans, AEG Live has entered into an agreement with Viagogo. The online site allows people to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe and guaranteed way," the newspaper quoted AEG Live as saying in a previously released statement.

"This is the hottest ticket of the decade. To suggest that there won't be a premium market is unrealistic," a source close to AEG Live told The Times. "We want to make sure it is done properly and fans are not buying the tickets in some dodgy back alley. This is only a small minority of tickets. The aim all along has been to make sure that the majority of the arena is filled with real fans. There are systems in place to make sure people cannot buy multiple tickets and sell them."