LONDON, England (CNN) – Reclusive pop icon Michael Jackson will perform 10 concerts in London in July in what he described Thursday as a “final curtain call.” The summer shows, Jackson's first major live performances in 12 years, will take place at the O2 Arena from July 8. Jackson appeared in front of fans and media at the venue Thursday to announce the “This Is It” shows. “This is it. These will be my final shows performing in London. ”This Is It“ really means this is it,” Jackson said. “I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear. This is the final curtain call. I'll see you in July and I love you so much.” Tickets for the shows will cost £50-75 ($70-105) and will go on sale on March 13. Fans can pre-register to purchase tickets at www.MichaelJacksonLive.com. He took no questions at the brief news conference and it was not immediately clear if Jackson meant the concerts were his “curtain call” for London or the wider world. Jackson was more than 90 minutes late for the announcement that lasted about three minutes. In a statement on the O2 Web site, the 20,000-seat venue had invited Jackson fans to see a “special announcement” – and to sign up for ticket alerts. A few hundred die-hard fans turned up for the event. The O2 Arena has acquired a reputation in recent years for staging “must-see” musical events. Last year it hosted Led Zeppelin's one-off comeback gig and in 2007 Prince staged a 21-night residency there. Britney Spears, the Pet Shop Boys and Lionel Richie are among performers due to play the venue this year. Jackson fans said they had come down to show their support for their idol.
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