Prince Jackson’s “This Is Thriller” Returns to the Palace Theatre on October 24

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By Mockulus Editorial
October 13, 2026

The Heal Los Angeles Foundation is bringing its “This Is Thriller” fan event back to downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 24, at the Palace Theatre, a location tied to the making of Michael Jackson’s landmark short film. The foundation, co-founded by Prince Jackson, is hosting the evening for the third year at the venue, and the Eventbrite listing I reviewed showed it as sold out.

The Event

According to the Eventbrite listing, the evening runs from 5 to 11 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 630 South Broadway. Heal LA describes it as a celebration of “Thriller,” billed as the world’s biggest-selling album, and says proceeds directly support the foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Prince founded.

The program includes a screening of the “Thriller” short film. It will also feature “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough: The Making of Michael,” according to MJVibe, which reported on the lineup in September. Directed by Cliff Stephenson, the documentary features behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the biopic and was released on July 14. It runs about 60 minutes. It isn’t exclusive to the event: it’s also included as a bonus feature on the home release of “Michael,” so fans can watch it elsewhere too.

Why the Palace Theatre

The Palace Theatre is one of the filming locations for the “Thriller” short film, directed by John Landis. Fans have long visited the site to recreate the scene outside the theatre where MJ and Ola Ray appear. The short film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2009, making it the first music video to receive that honor.

How the Event Has Evolved

“This Is Thriller” started out as an annual Halloween-season party at Hayvenhurst, the former Jackson family home in Encino. It moved to the Palace Theatre in 2024, when filming for the biopic made the estate unavailable. That year, Prince and his team transformed the facade to resemble the short film for its 40th anniversary. The night featured the making-of documentary on “Thriller,” an onstage interview with makeup artist Rick Baker, and a performance by the Thrill the World LA team.

The 2025 edition, on October 31, included a screening of “Ghosts” and a panel with four original “Thriller” dancers, moderated by Prince. “This is Thriller is more than a Halloween celebration,” he said in the foundation’s announcement, calling it a celebration of the arts, community and giving back.

Why It Matters

This year’s event arrives after a year in which “Thriller” has been back in the spotlight. The biopic crossed $1 billion at the global box office, and the album has been charting widely, including a recent milestone of 520 weeks on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. For fans in Los Angeles, the Palace Theatre night is a chance to experience that renewed attention in a physical place tied to the short film.

For readers who missed out on tickets, the foundation lists its other events on its website, and the making-of documentary remains available on the biopic’s home release.

Sources: Eventbrite listing, Heal Los Angeles Foundation press release, and MJVibe