Michael Jackson memorabilia set to thrill fans

(AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS)

The personal memorabilia of Michael Jackson is going on show from Wednesday at The O2 in London, where the king of pop was set to perform his comeback concerts before his tragic death.

"Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition" has more than 250 items from the US singer's private collections, allowing fans an up-close look at some of his most treasured possessions.

The exhibition features clothes, jewellery, paintings, awards, instruments, props and iconic memorabilia such as his sequinned white left-hand glove, first worn in 1983.

Items from his Neverland ranch in California are also on show, with the entrance gates and the 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom luxury car he used for cruising round Los Angeles with actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Also on display are the costumes prepared for the "This Is It" run of 50 shows at The O2, including sequinned jackets for certain songs, his favoured loafer shoes with MJ monogrammed inside and ghoulish outfits for the "Thriller" routine.

"We don't have the concert, we don't have the man any more but what we do have is his legacy and that's what this celebrates," exhibition curator Robert Santelli told AFP.

Jackson died on June 25 aged 50 after taking a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs. He had been rehearsing in Los Angeles for his "This Is It" concerts.