Behind the scenes of Elvis Evolution

Layered Reality (LR) founder and CEO Andrew McGuinness has taken IQ behind the scenes of the “world’s first” Elvis Presley immersive experience.

Elvis Evolution opens at the new Immerse LDN site at London Excel Waterfront in May 2025 in partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises and Authentic Brands Group, the custodians of the Elvis Presley estate.

The “multi-sensory” 110-minute production will take audiences through Presley’s life story and feature seminal performances with the help of cutting-edge technology and generative AI.

“This isn’t a concert, it’s a journey through Elvis’ life,” explains McGuinness. “He went from a poverty-stricken background in a rural town in Mississippi, to being the greatest star in the world. You’ll follow those footsteps through his journey: through Memphis, through to Los Angeles and to Las Vegas, and the culmination is seeing his performances. It’s a celebration.”

Tickets went on general sale today starting at £68 (€82), plus booking fee, including access to an after-party. VIP options are also available, priced £171. The multiple daily screenings, which run from early afternoon to evening, are each limited to 180-capacity (split into four groups of 45).

“It’s a fusion of theatre, cinema and something like ABBA Voyage,” notes McGuinness. “On top of that, you’ve got themed food and beverage opportunities – we’re in the middle of designing an Elvis cocktail at the moment. So it’s not quite the same as anything that’s out there, and that’s almost the point.

“We want to reflect Elvis’ reach across the generations,  so if someone wants to come earlier, then absolutely brilliant. But if others want to turn it into a late night party with their mates, they can do that as well.”

“It’s the culmination of seven years’ work in terms of us learning how to perfect these immersive experiences”

Elvis Evolution is the latest presentation from immersive entertainment specialist LR, which was founded in 2017 and won widespread acclaim for its award-winning Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience. Its latest production, Gunpowder Plot, is currently running in London.

LR was granted access to thousands of Presley’s personal photos and hours of his home-video archive for the project.

“We’ve been directly working on [Elvis Evolution] now for about 18 months and the team has expanded to range from coders at one end of the spectrum through to costume designers at the other, so a fairly eclectic mix of people,” says McGuinness. “It’s the culmination of seven years’ work in terms of us learning how to perfect these immersive experiences. We’ve had four now and we’ve been fortunate that the two ongoing ones are in the top 10% of all attractions globally, but you learn as you go.”

McGuinness says the technology involved in the latest experience includes holograms, projection mapping, surround sound, large-scale LED screens and haptics.

“We’ve been able to keep on the cutting edge of what’s possible,” he says. “And with the evolution of AI over this period, it has been fascinating to be able to harness some of that.

“The reaction has been beyond what we could ever have hoped for, both in terms of media interest and the presale. It’s been beyond our expectations and an incredible tribute to Elvis as an artist. This is a guy who would be 90 next year, and the fanaticism and enthusiasm of multiple generations is amazing.”

“We’ve got a number of conversations going on, both with artists and also Hollywood IP”

The nature of the project reflects the shifting tastes and expectations of audiences, suggests McGuinness.

“People are looking for new types of experiences,” he observes. “The funny thing is, London has more innovation than most cities, but the majority of what’s on offer is still the same as it was 20 years ago, and that’s weird. The digital revolution has changed the way we consume entertainment at home completely, whereas the stuff outside the home is still quite similar to the way it always was. I think people are looking for something different, and this is something that will stick with them for a long period of time.”

McGuinness also discusses the prospect of taking Elvis Evolution worldwide.

“We would love to be able to bring that kind of quality of experience to people in cities around the world and make it more accessible for them,” he says. “Will it change things? I hope it acts as a stimulus. We’re going to be doing things in a different way and I think people will find it really exciting. We’d love to be part of an evolution, excuse the pun, of entertainment.”

He continues: “We see this as less of a touring thing and more something that would be resident. Things like Madame Tussauds sit in the city forever, yet exhibitions come and go in three or five months. Why is that? That’s kind of weird. We think that, when we get this out there, there will be multiple generations of people who want to come to it and that will mean that it can have longevity in a city. That means you build out fantastic, beautiful bars and everything else that you couldn’t do if it was only there temporarily or touring.”

In closing, McGuinness teases that Elvis might not be the last icon to receive the immersive treatment.

“We’ve got a number of conversations going on, both with artists and also big Hollywood IP – some of our most-loved films,” he reveals. “We’re finding there is a high level of enthusiasm from the owners of IP and the artists, because they know that we’ll deliver something of real quality.”

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News|30 Dec 2024

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