MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is preparing for what promises to be one of the biggest years in the Elvis world as plans take shape for a year-long celebration of the life and legacy of the Rock ‘n Roll icon on the 35th anniversary of the late singer’s passing.
The 35th Anniversary Year of Elvis will kick off in Memphis during the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s annual birthday celebration held Thursday, January 5 - Sunday, January 8, 2012, followed by The Elvis Cruise from Jacksonville, FL, to Nassau, Bahamas on January 6 – 12, 2012 and continues through Elvis Week 2012 which is expected to draw 75,000 fans from around the world making the pilgrimage to Memphis to visit Graceland and take part in a week-long event that celebrates the music icon.
Three new exhibits will be unveiled at Graceland starting with “Elvis on Tour” that opens to the public on January 5th. The exhibit celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Golden Globe award-winning documentary of the same name. “Elvis…Through His Daughter’s Eyes” will open on February 1st, Lisa Marie Presley’s birthday, and will highlight the relationship between Elvis and his only child. The largest exhibit launching during the 35th Anniversary year, “Icon: The Influence of Elvis Presley,” will open on March 1st and will feature many artifacts on loan from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. The exhibit will celebrate Elvis’ status as a music pioneer and icon that paved the way and influenced many of today’s artists and notable celebrities.
Numerous licensees and partners are also celebrating the 35th Anniversary Year of Elvis with special events, promotions, products and tours on a global scale. The largest ever international Elvis Presley exhibition will be unveiled in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2012 featuring hundreds of artifacts on loan from Graceland in Memphis. Elvis Presley In Concert, an astounding production that reunites former Elvis band mates live on stage with a state of the art video-projected Elvis, is returning in March of 2012 for a 16 date tour through Europe which includes London, Paris, Dublin, Zurich and Frankfurt in addition to Sao Paulo, Brazil, timed to coincide with the opening of the grand exhibition.
The new theatrical concert experience ELVIS LIVES “The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Event” will embark on a 29 city U.S. tour featuring finalists from The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest as they perform in an unforgettable multi- media and live musical journey across Elvis’ life. Licensed Elvis festivals will be taking place all over the world in 2012. From Elvis’ birthplace in Tupelo, Miss. to Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia, fans will be gathering to celebrate Elvis Presley during this special year.
In August 2012, tens of thousands of fans from around the world will gather at Graceland in Memphis from Friday, August 10th through Saturday, August 18th for a week of special events, concerts, panel discussions and more during a multiple day celebration which has become known as Elvis Week. One of the largest events during the week, and one that has become a rock ‘n’ roll pilgrimage for many, is the annual Candlelight Vigil on August 15th.
“International fan clubs that normally bring 50 or 100 fans to Memphis for Elvis Week have told us they are bringing 500 or more in 2012,” said Scott Williams, Vice President of Marketing and Media for EPE. “And thanks to the growth of social networking, fans will be able to join us online making this the biggest celebration of Elvis in history.”
In recent years, the 20th, 25th and 30th year anniversaries saw a dramatic increase in awareness and participation by the media, licensees and fans from all over the world. During the 30th Anniversary celebration in 2007, some 75,000 people attended Elvis Week events and toured the king’s castle, Graceland, during the 7 day celebration in Memphis. In 2012, there will be even more ways than ever for fans, many of whom were not yet born when Elvis passed away, to celebrate their love for the undisputed King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
2012 will be an exciting time to visit Graceland. For more information about planning a trip to Graceland or to buy tickets, visit Graceland’s online travel planner. For additional information on the year-long 35th Anniversary celebration of the life and legacy of Elvis Presley, please visit www.elvis.com or www.elvisweek.com.
About Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc.