$28.75 charge to visit Elvis’ grave during vigil upsets fans
MEMPHIS, TENN. » For nearly four decades, fans of the late singer Elvis Presley have made a solemn procession past his grave at his Graceland mansion during the annual candlelight vigil commemorating his death, without paying a penny.
This year, on the 40th anniversary of the rock n’ roll icon’s death, it’s going to cost them $28.75.
Many fans are not happy. Visitors who plan to attend the vigil beginning Tuesday night and running into Wednesday must have an Elvis Week Property Pass wristband to walk up the long driveway and past the graves where Presley and relatives are buried, Graceland told the Associated Press in a written statement. The $28.75 wristband also provides access to a new $45 million entertainment complex at the Memphis tourist attraction.
Graceland, operated by Elvis Presley Enterprises, says it anticipates large crowds and it has updated its security measures for Elvis Week, the annual celebration of Presley’s life and career in music and movies. Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis.
“In order to keep everyone safe and ensure an enjoyable and meaningful event for all, we have worked closely with local, state and federal security authorities to establish new procedures that have been widely used across the U.S.,” Graceland’s statement said.
A few Presley fans made a pilgrimage to Graceland the year he died, and they’ve continued coming ever since. Graceland says it averages 500,000 visitors per year from around the world, and attendance for this year’s vigil has been projected at 30,000 to 50,000.
The announcement surprised fans who didn’t know about the charge when they made plans to come to Elvis Week. Some reacted with angry messages on social media, saying they won’t attend another vigil.
Longtime fan Fred Schwarz of Springfield, Illinois, said Tuesday that he and his wife have been to several vigils and have enjoyed them. But not this year. He says fans should be insulted at the new charge.
“I looked forward to going down there this year, and they come up with all this,” Schwarz said. “I don’t want to even go to Memphis anymore. The people running that are not Elvis fans. They are in business. Corporations, they want the bottom line.”