Shane Warne’s son Jackson has revealed intimate details of his father’s memorial service ahead of the MCG gathering on Wednesday night.
The 23-year-old spoke to the Today Show on Wednesday morning as more than 50,000 fans prepared to gather at the MCG to say their goodbyes to the legendary leg spinner.
Jackson said there was “there’s no other better place in the whole world” for the state memorial service to be held.
Warne, 52, tragically died from a heart attack in Thailand earlier this month, with his body later returned to Australia.
Jackson said while it will be a sad day, his Dad always loved a crowd and encouraged everyone to come along.
“It’s very special for a lot of us, especially our family. We’ve been lucky enough to come here our how lives and watch him play and put lots of hard work in on this very ground,” Jackson said.
“I think there’s no other better place in the whole world to have 100,000 people, Melburnians, Victorians, Australians and people from around the world that loved him as cricketer to come say goodbye.”
Mr Warne’s family and friends held a private funeral at the St Kilda Football Club two weeks ago, with tonight’s service a chance for the Melburnian public to pay tribute to the man who worked his magic in front of their eyes so many times.
Gates will open at 5:30pm, with the service beginning at 7:00pm.
All attendees are asked to be seated by 6:45pm, with the sexjmtzywrvice expected to run for approximately two hours.
As part of the service, The Great Southern Stand is expected to be renamed the “Shane Warne Stand”.
Those attending must be fully vaccinated and check-in using the Service Victoria app.
The likes of Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue and Eric Bana will be there, while Elton John, Ed Sheeran and Chris Martin will do performances.
Mr Warne’s family have requested that the public come to the memorial dressed in their cricket gear in recognition of his achievements and legacy.
They have also asked that instead of flowers, memorial tributes be made in the form of contributions to The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.
For those who cannot make it to the ground, there will be a livestream on the Victorian Government’s website.
Venues across the country like the SCG (where Mr Warne played his final Test match for Australia), Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, the Gabba and Blundstone Arena are also holding services where the memorial will be streamed.
