It was the show that brought the Seventies back to life and gave the UK economy a £1.4 billion boost. But replicating the success of Abba Voyage, as it turns out, requires far more than just the promise of a few digital dancing queens — or kings.
Paige Rannigan, 29, from Essex, spent more than £200 on tickets for the Elvis Evolution show at the ExCel Centre in London, expecting a “life-sized digital Elvis”. She left feeling like she had been sold fool’s gold.
“There were three musicians on the stage in front of the screen, acting as the musicians that were there in real life,” she said. “But their instruments weren’t plugged in and there was fake applause over the top. There were only about three songs on his ’68 comeback video, but it was anything you could look up on YouTube or iPlayer.”
Fans of the King of Rock and Roll were left reeling when a show that promised a “life-sized digital Elvis performing iconic moments in musical history on a UK stage for the first time” delivered a completely different experience. Several who attended claimed the event was “money-grabbing” and “bizarre”.
The Elvis Evolution immersive show promised cutting-edge technology
Layered Reality, the production company behind Elvis Evolution, had initially suggested that the “brand new interactive experience” would involve cutting-edge AI and holographic imagery. Plans for the hologram were scrapped — along with any hopes of experiencing something on the scale of Abba Voyage.
“There were clips of Lilo and Stitch that had Elvis Presley and football fans singing Elvis songs,” Rannigan said. “We had gone in with the expectation there was going to be a hologram. But it was completely not like that. It was really bizarre. We left completely bewildered.
“We were promised a live band at the after party. We didn’t even get that, other than a DJ that played Blue Suede Shoes three times. We probably had a better time watching the ’68 comeback at home.”
Announced in January last year, Elvis Evolution takes the audience on a journey through Presley’s life from his “humble beginnings in Tupelo” to the “iconic ’68 special performance”.
The “immersive experience” is also described as including “live theatre, multi-sensory technology and generative AI to bring the musical icon to life in an authentic tribute”.
The audience is taken through Presley’s youth before an interval, in the form of a Hawaii-themed bar with a cardboard cut-out of the star. Then they watch a version of his 1968 comeback special performance that was broadcast live on NBC.
Opening on Friday for a six-month run, admission cost £75 for a standard ticket and £300 for a “Super VIP” option, which includes mid-show champagne, a commemorative glass, dedicated seating, a drink at each of the three bars and access to the cloakroom.
Part of the set for Elvis Evolution
Daniel Deveraux Leclerc, who bought tickets, said: “At the time of booking, the show was presented as an immersive tribute of significant technological and emotional depth. The experience that unfolded, however, bore little resemblance to what had been promised. Claims concerning holographic performance, innovative stagecraft and authentic homage to Elvis Presley were overstated.
“This is not simply a matter of personal dissatisfaction. It reflects a wider issue of consumer trust and editorial responsibility.”
As criticism of the show intensified on Tuesday, Layered Reality said staff had eventually made the “creative decision not to mimic Elvis’s performances”.
• Elvis Presley is back in the building as AI concert announced for London
An Elvis Evolution spokesman said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the feedback, with many describing it as fun, immersive and unlike anything they’ve seen before. A small number of people have pointed out that they were expecting a hologram concert, due to the initial announcement made in January 2024.
“As with many complex productions that are two years in the making, the concept developed from those early stages, and this was made clear when tickets went on sale in October 2024. We ultimately took the creative decision not to mimic Elvis’s performances. Those moments proved to be too iconic and irreplaceable. Instead, we use AI to upscale archive footage and in moments we know happened but where no footage existed, offering a new lens into his world.
Elvis Evolution’s creative team add finishing touches to the sets before the launch
“Elvis Evolution is not a traditional concert or hologram show. It’s a major scale, theatrical experience priced competitively that invites audiences into the world of Elvis through immersive design, selective use of cutting-edge technology, live actors and musicians.”
Layered Reality added: “This is an experience where the story leads the technology, not the other way around. While we understand that expectations can be shaped by comparisons to other formats, we’re incredibly proud of what’s been created and how it’s reconnecting people with Elvis in a bold and meaningful way. We can’t wait for more audiences to step inside and experience it for themselves.”
Several audience members have shared more positive reviews on social media, while others have also expressed their upset over the experience and demanded refunds.
Meanwhile, Shanine Salmon said she purchased £6.50 preview tickets via Show Film First, which recruits audiences, but said she was expecting an interactive experience similar to the Tutankhamen exhibition.
“In the interval I heard tickets were £75 plus and the project cost £10 million,” she said. “I think as well as speaking to fans there needs to be investigation where this money is going. There are clearly not enough staff, not enough actors and the technology isn’t doing anything groundbreaking. It is not providing what it was promised. There is no way £300 ticket holders are getting value for money.”
Britt Barnes White said that while she was disappointed by the lack of a hologram she had still “loved every minute” of the “I Can Dream” VIP package.
Layered Reality has previously produced immersive experiences including The Gunpowder Plot and Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds.
Elvis Evolution is set to run at ExCel London until December. When first announced, the show was due to move to Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo after London, but this has not been confirmed.