Elvis Candlelight Vigil is ‘sold out’ at 720 patrons
In a first for Graceland, the annual “Elvis Candlelight Vigil” that commemorates the Aug. 16, 1977, death of the King of Rock ‘n' Roll is, essentially, “sold out.”
Tuesday night, the last of the 720 available spaces for this year's unprecedented reservations-required vigil were filled, said Alicia Dean, events specialist at Graceland.
Motivated by the coronavirus pandemic, this year's event marks a major change from past candlelight vigils, which were open to all and attracted hundreds of mourners, fans and tourists, who throughout the night of Aug. 15 and into the morning of Aug. 16 would make the solemn procession from the gates of Graceland to the “Meditation Garden” and Presley gravesite on the south side of the mansion.
Due to the health guidelines put in place in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Graceland officials decided this year to limit the vigil to 720 socially distanced participants, and to require these fans to reserve free advance tickets for a place in the queue.
Officials also limited the vigil to three hours from 9 p.m. to midnight, for an event that will be “super-organized and structured,” Dean said.
In another major change intended to ensure social distancing, only ticketed participants will be allowed past the security barriers that block Elvis Presley Boulevard to traffic on either side of the mansion.
This will prevent the gathering of hundreds and even thousands of onlookers that generally occurs every Aug. 15 outside Graceland, consisting mostly of people who don't actually intend to participate in the vigil.
Dean admitted the change will be tough for some Elvis fans, although many who typically come to Memphis in August already had decided to stay home, due to the virus. “They all wish they could be here,” she said. “They all share the same sentiment.”
A fan-generated event that began in 1978, to mark the first anniversary of Elvis' death, the candlelight vigil represents the culmination of what has become known as “Elvis Week,” a mostly Graceland-hosted series of events recognizing Presley's life and legacy. As a result of COVID-19, this year's “Elvis Week“commemoration has mostly moved online, through Elvis movies will be screened at 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday on a four-story “drive-in” screen in the Graceland parking lot. (The full schedule of “virtual” and actual Graceland events is at graceland.com.)
Although the vigil spots all are reserved, hopeful fans can add their names to a Graceland “wait list,” in case any tickets open up due to cancellations. The wait list can be found at https://www.graceland.com/ reservation-form.