{{Short description|Immersive theatrical show}} {{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
'''Elvis Evolution''' is an immersive theatrical show about the life of Elvis Presley.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |date=4 January 2024 |title=Return of the king: Elvis hologram show to premiere in London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/jan/04/elvis-evolution-hologram-show-london-premiere |access-date=2025-02-27 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Fullbrook |first=Danny |last2=Perrone |first2=Roberto |date=8 January 2024 |title='Elvis AI show more like time travel than Abba hologram' - creator |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-67906106 |access-date=2025-02-27 |work=BBC News}}</ref> It premiered at the Excel London in 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bloodworth |first=Adam |date=July 21, 2025 |title=Elvis Evolution review: The King is in the building – kind of |url=https://www.cityam.com/elvis-revolution-review-immersive-theatre-is-good-again/ |access-date=2025-07-22 |work=CityAM}}</ref> It was created by a British production company called Layered Reality, which claimed to have access to hundreds of hours of video footage and photography from Presley's personal archive at Graceland.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feitelberg |first=Rosemary |date=April 13, 2024 |title=Elvis Presley Is Coming to London -- Sort Of |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=176623536&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2025-02-26 |work=WWD: Women's Wear Daily |via=EBSCOhost}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Dawkins |first=Mia |date=October 2024 |title=With AI, Celebrities Never Die |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=179760893&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2025-02-26 |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |pages=101–102 |via=EBSCOhost |issue=4824}}</ref> The show follows Elvis' life story: from growing up in rural Mississippi, to becoming a global superstar, and ends with a bar featuring a live band.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Hanley |first=James |date=25 October 2024 |title=Behind the scenes of Elvis Evolution |url=https://www.iq-mag.net/2024/10/behind-the-scenes-of-elvis-evolution/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |work=IQ Magazine: Live Music Intelligence}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaplan |first=Ilana |date=4 January 2024 |title=Elvis to Make Comeback as Hologram at London Show |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=175104878&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=People.com |via=EBSCOhost}}</ref> It focuses on Elvis’ childhood friend Sam Bell rather than the singer himself.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lukowski |first=Andrzej |title=Why has London’s new immersive Elvis Presley show been so controversial – and is it really that bad? |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/why-has-londons-new-immersive-elvis-presley-show-been-so-controversial-and-is-it-really-that-bad-072325 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250827031521/https://www.timeout.com/london/news/why-has-londons-new-immersive-elvis-presley-show-been-so-controversial-and-is-it-really-that-bad-072325 |archive-date=August 27, 2025 |access-date=2025-09-15 |work=Time Out London |language=en-GB |url-status=live }}</ref>
It is 110 minutes long.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> The production has drawn comparisons to ABBA Voyage due to the way it was positioned.<ref name=":3" />
== Reception == Reviews have been mixed to unfavourable including one-star reviews from ''The Telegraph'' and ''Daily Express''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Larman |first=Alexander |date=18 July 2025 |title=£300 to see Elvis perform live? This immersive show is not worth a tenth of the price |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/concerts/elvis-evolution-review/ |access-date=2025-07-22 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kyriazis |first=Stefan |date=20 July 2025 |title=£300 a ticket, rubbish Elvis Evolution immersive show is an insult to The King and fans |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/2084450/elvis-evolution-immersive-show-london-review |access-date=2025-07-22 |work=Daily Express}}</ref>
Fans of Elvis Presley received the experience poorly when it launched in July 2025, calling it "atrocious and misleading",<ref name=":4">{{cite web |author=Rufo |first=Yasmin |date=July 2025 |title=Elvis experience costing up to £300 branded 'atrocious and misleading' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20prvvgypyo |access-date=22 July 2025 |website=BBC News}}</ref> "embarrassing" and compared it to the Willy's Chocolate Experience in Glasgow.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/baffled-elvis-fans-dub-embarrassing-35588190|title=Baffled Elvis fans dub 'embarrassing' event the 'new Willy Wonka experience'|author=Ashley Pemberton and Tim Hanlon|date=July 2025|access-date=21 July 2025}}</ref>
A collection of customers formed an action group against the production in 2025 claiming to be missold. Many sought a refund because they had been told that it would be a hologram show similar to ABBA Voyage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Private Eye {{!}} Elvis Evolution : The King is dud |url=https://www.private-eye.co.uk//sections.php?section_link=in_the_back&issue=1655 |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=www.private-eye.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/elvis-fans-demand-refunds-as-new-show-dubbed-a-shambles/ar-AA1J49bE |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref> As of September 2025, some have been successful in their chargeback.
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley Category:2025 introductions Category:Immersive theater