A new immersive Elvis Presley show will open in central London later this year, bringing the king of rock'n'roll back to life using artificial intelligence (AI), organizers announced on Thursday.
“Elvis Evolution,” featuring a life-size digital Elvis performing on stage, is designed to be the first in a series of shows in cities including Las Vegas, Tokyo and Berlin.
British company Layered Reality created the show using AI, holographic projections, augmented reality, live theater and multi-sensory effects to celebrate the singer's life and legacy.
It promises never-before-seen performances created through access to thousands of personal photos and home video archives after striking a deal with Authentic Brands Group, which owns its domain.
Andrew McGuinness, managing director of Layered Reality, called the show “a next-generation tribute to the musical legend that is Elvis Presley.”
“Elvis maintains his superstar status on a global scale and people around the world no longer want to sit there and passively receive entertainment – they want to be a part of it,” he added.
The show, scheduled to open in November, will use music, technology and storytelling to trace Elvis' rise to fame and cultural significance in the 1950s and 1960s.
Marc Rosen, head of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, said it would offer fans “an immersive new way to experience the life and legacy of Elvis Presley.”
Presley – one of the best-selling musical artists of all time – died at the age of 42 at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1977.
'Elvis Evolution' follows the success of Swedish supergroup ABBA's digital avatar show 'ABBA Voyage', which opened at a purpose-built venue in east London in May 2022.
Bloomberg reported in September last year that it had sold more than 1.5 million tickets, generating more than $150 million.