LONDON — Tickets for Michael Jackson’s 50 London concerts sold out within hours of becoming available, organizers said Friday.

For Ayesha Obi — who, having waited since Wednesday, was first in line — the experience was a thriller.

“He is a legend, and I love his message to the world,” Obi, a 19-year-old student, said outside the O2 Arena in south London.

The shows are scheduled to kick off in July and stretch into February. The pop singer has said the series, titled “This Is It,” will be his last in the British capital.

After 360,000 advance tickets sold out earlier this week, roughly 500,000 tickets were made available Friday, organizers said. Tickets were priced between 50 pounds and 75 pounds ($70 and $105).

— From wire reports