Goodbye, Graceland? Five other places to experience Elvis around the world

A lawsuit called Graceland’s future into question, but fans can find traces of Elvis’s life, work, and electric dancing everywhere from Tokyo to Australia and Mississippi to Denmark.

Graceland, the legendary estate, museum and former family home of Elvis Presley located in Memphis, Tennessee, is currently at the centre of a legal dispute that might see the property sold off. Riley Keough, the granddaughter of the late singer, inherited the compound after her mother, Lisa Marie Presley’s death in 2023. Keough, the Daisy Jones & the Six actress sued to halt the sale of the property by Naussany Investments, which claimed it was used as collateral for a loan that was never repaid.   

Elvis bought the property that would become Graceland in 1957 for roughly $100,000 (£78,518), according to the museum’s website, and lived there with his family until his death in 1977. In 1982, the sprawling 13.8-acre property was opened to the public and interest in the home and its former inhabitants hasn’t waned since. In his book about the singer, published that same year, author Dave Marsh remarked that “Elvis Presley was an explorer of vast new landscapes of dream and illusion. He was a man who refused to be told that the best of his dreams would not come true, who refused to be defined by anyone else’s conceptions.”

That hard-to-define iconoclast continued to fascinate, and in the last two years there have been as many films exploring his life and past. Elvis, the bold and loud Baz Luhrmann biopic tackles the singer’s rebelliousness and the segregated US South in which he – and his musical style – were forged. Priscilla, the Sofia Coppola vehicle released a year later took a subdued look at Presley’s family life, through the storytelling of his former wife’s memoir.

The man and myth at the centre of these stories made Graceland into more than just a home. Today, in addition to the mansion itself, there remains an airplane hangar housing Elvis’ planes, a guest house and even a wedding chapel. The compound attracts more than 600,000 visitors per year, but it’s by no means the only place in the world in which to feel the presence of “The King”. And though this estate may be safe from fire sale for now, fans can find traces of Elvis’ life, work and electric dancing everywhere from Tokyo to Australia, from Mississippi to Denmark.

Here are some intriguing ways to experience Presley’s legacy across the globe. 

For those looking for the Graceland experience in Europe, the Memphis Mansion located in Randers, Denmark offers a good option. The brainchild of superfan Henrik Knudsen, what started as a mail-order shop for like-minded Elvis fans transformed into a full experience. In 2011, Knudsen oversaw the creation of a replica of the famous home, in order to house his own enormous collection of Elvis memorabilia. Today the Memphis Mansion is a museum dedicated to both Elvis and another famous American singer, Johnny Cash. There’s also a replica of Elvis’ birthplace on site, as well as an American themed diner serving some of Elvis’ favourite foods and of course, a gift shop selling memorabilia.

Address: Graceland Randers Vej 3, DK-8960 Randers SØ, CVR-nr: 37341266

Website: memphismansion.dk

Elvis enthusiasts can cruise the River Thames to tunes performed by the King of Rock and Roll… or at least his likeness. City Experiences cruises in London offers an Elvis Tribute Cruise, where guests can dine and dance along to classic Elvis tracks, performed by Elvis tribute artist Danny Graceland. Interestingly while the music is pure Americana, the food and view are quintessentially British, as many London landmarks are visible along the three-hour voyage. The Tribute Cruise leaves from Westminster Pier about once a month, though City Experiences also offers more frequent sailings and tours for those more interested in London than the King. For more Elvis, there’s also a limited-time exhibition on the King at Arches London Bridge through September 2024. (Curious about canal cruising? Learn about the people who moved into riverboats to float around London full time.)

Every Sunday for the last 30 years, dozens of denim and pompadour clad dancers gather in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, near Harajuku station, to rock out to music by Elvis and other musicians of the era. Known as the “Rockabilly Dancers” or “Elvis dancers” the group generally take turns practicing the moves that Elvis made famous, including jump splits, air guitar and the once-scandalous hip swivel. Dancers of all ages, some of whom have been around this scene for decades, make up a special rockabilly subculture you can only see here. 

Address: 2-1 Yoyogikamizonochō, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-0052, Japan

What started as a rock and roll themed restaurant named Gracelands has since grown into an Elvis themed festival that brings visitors from around the world. The Parkes Elvis Festival in New South Wales, Australia, which takes place the second week of January every year to coincide with Elvis’ birthday, features a variety of competitions where guests try to dress, sing and dance like the King of Rock and Roll. There’s also a “Miss Priscilla” competition for the ladies as well as a 1950s auto show and a parade. Perhaps most unique to this Elvis event, there’s an Elvis poetry competition at the Parkes festival, where aspiring poets present their best piece of unpublished work with at least one mention of Elvis (or the event itself). This year’s theme was Jailhouse Rock. Sadly, entry is open to Australian citizens only.

The small town of Tupelo, Mississippi became renowned around the world because of the fame of its hometown boy. Elvis Presley was born here in 1935, in a two-room house built by his father. The home and surrounding grounds are now a museum dedicated to the singer’s life as well as some of the influences that shaped the man he became. In addition to the home and museum, the grounds also include a relocated church house, where the family attended services, an amphitheatre, several statues of Elvis and a picnic pavilion and reflection pool for contemplation.

Address: 306 Elvis Presley Dr, Tupelo, MS 38801

Website: elvispresleybirthplace.com