In June 1995, Londoners were treated to a surreal spectacle: a colossal 32-foot statue of Michael Jackson floated down the River Thames on a barge. This towering fiberglass figure was just one of ten statues created worldwide to promote Jackson’s album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. Over 30 years later—and 16 years after the King of Pop’s death—some of these statues still stand in unexpected places, while others have quietly disappeared.

From Album Cover to Gigantic Monoliths

HIStory was a double album combining greatest hits with 15 new tracks, including the emotionally charged “Earth Song,” which topped UK charts for six weeks. For the album’s promotion, American sculptor Diana Walczak worked with Jackson to create a clay sculpture that was digitally scanned for the cover art.

Sony then commissioned Hertfordshire-based artist Stephen Pyle, who enlisted sculptor Derek Howarth to build 10 giant statues using polystyrene molds and fiberglass casts. Painted to look like stone, the statues were assembled at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. Despite working without Walczak’s original prototype, the team managed to mass-produce the Michael Jackson “monoliths” in just four months.
Stephen Pyle recalls, “Making 10 statues in four months was quite the challenge… we became quite the efficient factory for Michael Jackson monoliths!”

Where Are They Now?

The fate of many statues remains unknown—they may be hidden in storage or dismantled. But several have found homes in unusual places around the globe.

Netherlands: From Icon to Shrine to Storage

For years, a towering King of Pop statue stood outside a McDonald’s in the Dutch village of Best. Restaurant owner Peter Van Gelder acquired it at a 1996 charity gala for the Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund, intending it as an eye-catcher for his new restaurant.

Jackson fans flocked to the statue, turning it into an impromptu shrine on his birthday and the anniversary of his death, complete with music, photos, and flowers. However, after the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland renewed allegations of child sexual abuse, McDonald’s headquarters pressured for its removal.

Peter explained, “In the Netherlands there was not such a strong reaction… but due to pressure from the US headquarters, the statue was removed and stored in a secret location.” Though Peter hopes to donate it to a fan club, its massive size and local regulations requiring a building permit have made this difficult. Today, the statue lies covered under a tarp in an unremarkable shed, with public interest waning.
(McDonald’s statement: “We felt and feel it is important for all guests to feel comfortable when visiting one of our restaurants.”)

Austria: Club Promotion or Family Controversy?

In a courtyard 18 miles west of Vienna, a Michael Jackson statue once greeted patrons of The Baby’O club in Judenau-Baumgarten. Owner Franz Josef Zika bought the statue in 1998 at a charity auction for 150,000 Austrian Schillings (about £9,300).

Franz recalls the shock of telling his family, “You’re crazy!” but used the statue to promote his venue, creating a party atmosphere around it. However, the club closed recently after residential developments moved in nearby. Franz has been trying for two years to sell the statue, hoping for around €25,000 (£21,000), but interest has been limited and buyers scarce.

“If I can’t sell it,” he joked, “maybe I’ll send it to Mars. Elon will do this for me!”

A Global Legacy in Fiberglass

While some of the giant Michael Jackson statues have faded into obscurity or controversy, others remain as unexpected cultural relics, standing defiantly in small towns and forgotten venues. They serve as quirky monuments to the King of Pop’s larger-than-life presence during a peak era of his career.

Their story is a reminder of the sometimes surreal ways celebrity art is immortalized—and how public perception and history can affect what happens to these gigantic icons decades later.