Muhammad Ali funeral service: When is it and who will be there?

The services will stretch across two days in the late boxing legend's hometown of Louisville in Kentucky

The late boxing legend’s funeral will be held across two days in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky from today to Friday (EPA)

The world has been thrust into mourning since Muhammad Ali died. Ali had been admitted to hospital earlier in the week with a respiratory condition, having lived with Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years.

He died in Pheonix in Arizona at the age of 74 last Friday evening. Far more than just a boxer, the three-time heavyweight champion of the world was an incomparably heroic and at times, controversial, figure.

Which different events are happening?

The late boxing legend’s funeral services will be held across two days in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

A Muslim prayer service will be held today on Thursday, while a public funeral procession with a memorial service will take place on Friday.

Where and when will the Muslim prayer service take place?

The service will be held today on Thursday 9 June in Freedom Hall in Louisville. The venue has special significance for Ali because he fought, and won, his first professional fight there in 1960. It is also the site of Ali’s last fight in Louisville where he beat Willi Besmanoff in 1961.

The service will start at 12pm local time and 5pm UK time.

Who is it open to?

The event will be open to the public and 14,000 tickets were made available to them. Although it is a Muslim funeral prayer service conducted by an imam, also known as a Jenazah, all faiths are welcome at the event.

“Ali spoke of inclusiveness his entire life,” Bob Gunnell, a family spokesman, said. “We want this to be inclusive of everyone.”

Ali, joined the black separatist Nation of Islam as a young athlete and went on to embrace mainstream Islam years later in his life.

Where and when the memorial service on Friday take place?

Events will kick off on Friday morning with a funeral procession taking Ali through the streets of Louisville for one last trip. The procession will pass the Muhammad Ali Center and his boyhood home, concluding its voyage at Cave Hill Cemetery.

The actual memorial service will take place on Friday in the 22,000-seat Yum! Center in Louisville. It will start at 2pm local time and 7pm UK time.

What type of service is it?

The memorial is an interfaith service and will comprise of representatives of several religions, including Jews and Christians.

How many people will attend?

15,000 free tickets to the memorial service were given away in nearly one hour on Wednesday morning. Gunnell said 15,000 people were expected to attend the service.

Where can I watch it?

The service will be live-streamed on Ali's website. ESPN will also broadcast live coverage of the memorial service, thus pushing its coverage of the first match of the European soccer championships between France and Romania on to ESPN2 channel. The coverage will begin at 1pm local time and 6pm UK time.

Who will be attending the event?

Bill Clinton, Billy Crystal and Bryant Gumbel are some of those who have been scheduled to present eulogies during the service. Will Smith, who played the boxer in the film Ali, ex-heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis and Jerry Ellis, the brother of former Ali sparring partner Jimmy Ellis will be pallbearers at the service. Other pallbearers will be family friends and relatives.