Elvis Presley hologram concert to launch in London

Elvis Presley is to be brought back to life in hologram form for a new major live production.

A collaboration between Elvis Presley Enterprises, Authentic Brands Group and immersive specialist Layered Reality (LR), Elvis Evolution will launch in central London in November 2024, with further stops planned in Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo.

The virtual concert will feature “a life sized digital Elvis” who will “share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage”, made possible thanks to LR’s “unique blend of technology, augmented reality, theatre, projection and multi-sensory effects”.

“The crescendo of the experience is an AI performance by Elvis,” Layered Reality CEO Andrew McGuinness tells Reuters.

The UK-based company has also worked on presentations such as Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience and The Gunpowder Plot.

“Elvis Evolution is a next-generation tribute to the musical legend that is Elvis Presley,” adds McGuinness. “Elvis maintains superstar status globally and people around the world no longer want to sit there and passively receive entertainment – they want to be a part of it.

“It’ll be a memory-making experience that will be a bucket-list item for Elvis fans and admirers around the world”

“It’ll be a memory-making experience that will be a bucket-list item for Elvis fans and admirers around the world; people can step into the world of Elvis, walk in his shoes and celebrate his extraordinary musical legacy.”

Presley, who died in 1977 aged 42, was introduced to a new generation in 2022 via the smash-hit big screen biopic Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Kilimanjaro Live is currently promoting the Direct from Graceland: Elvis retrospective exhibition, which opened at Arches London Bridge in October 2023 and boasts “the most significant collection of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to ever leave Memphis”, including more than 400 artefacts owned by Presley.

A previous show, Elvis In Concert: Live On Screen, toured UK arenas in 2016. The concert experience, which was promoted by Kennedy Street and AAA in conjunction with Elvis’ estate, featured archive performance footage of Presley on video screens, accompanied live on stage by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The production returned to The O2 in London last year.

Elvis Evolution follows in the footsteps of the ABBA Voyage virtual concert residency, which has created a new model for legendary artists since debuting to widespread acclaim in 2022. US rock legends Kiss have also stated their intention to continue as a virtual band from 2027 following their recent retirement from touring.

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