Michael Jackson will be buried in a $25,000 gold casket in a funeral that is set to fulfill his own prophecy by becoming the greatest show on Earth.

The coffin, a rare design called the Promethean, is made of solid bronze but is 14-carat gold-plated with a hand-polished mirror finish and lined with velvet. It was ordered last night from America’s Batesville Casket Company and is identical to the coffin used to bury James Brown in 2006.

Jackson’s memorial service will take place on Tuesday at the LA Lakers basketball stadium, the Staples Center, where he rehearsed for his scheduled comeback concerts at The O2 just two days before his death. The Center has a 20,000 capacity and the family is planning to distribute 11,000 tickets free to the general public.

Speculation is mounting that Jackson will only be buried at Forest Lawn temporarily and his body will be taken to a final grave at Neverland once his family have won legal consent. This process could take more than a month and appeared to be backed by Jackson’s brother Jermaine in an interview today. ’He created Neverland. Why wouldn’t he be here?’ he said. ‘I feel his presence.’

Further reports suggest Jackson’s coffin will be buried in concrete to prevent the grave being robbed. He will be buried with one of his famous diamond-studded gloves.