UK Explodes into Europe’s biggest Elvis celebration for its 20th Anniversary
It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to estimate that tens of thousands of people around the world dress up and even try to sing like Elvis Presley every single year. We know that many of these fans and performers are concentrated in Las Vegas, Nevada, and across Memphis.
In fact, there’s even an annual Elvis Week in Memphis that celebrates the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll each year – with the next one being August 8 to 16, 2025. Perhaps where you wouldn’t expect an extensive celebration of the pop culture icon would be across the Atlantic in a little town in the UK.
Well, this year, the seaside town on the south coast of Wales celebrated the 20th Anniversary of its annual Elvis Festival, and there are already dates set for another installment in 2025!
Source: Unsplash
A town of around 16,000 people between Swansea and Cardiff, Porthcawl first staged what would become its annual festival devoted to the Rock Around the Clock superstar in 2004. That year, around 500 people came to the Welsh seaside to partake and enjoy the shows.
In September 2024, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Porthcawl Elvis Festival, some 40,000 visitors came to enjoy the pageantry and acts. Tribute acts make up a lot of the entertainment, but there’s plenty of choice as over 1,000 shows are put on over the three-day festival.
Hailed by its organizers as “The Largest Festival of its Kind in the World”, it’s at least the largest Elvis festival in Europe. Many of the others staged beyond the UK’s shores are sister festivals of this Welsh showcase of Elvis talent.
With another incredibly successful event in the books, September 26 to 28 has been confirmed as the weekend of the Porthcawl Elvis Festival in 2025. Given the coverage that 2024’s edition earned, it would be fair to assume that next year will bring in even bigger crowds to the Porthcawl area, and all in honor of the Mississippi native.
Source: Pixabay
Elvis Presley’s impact on home soil was, naturally, massive, changing the music industry and even music television forever, as the Grammy page on Elvis relays. The man born in Tupelo would see his music sell around the world, making him one of the all-time best-selling music artists, with over 500 million records sold globally. Just as much as his voice, his look became iconic.
From his classic high-collar white getup to his Jailhouse Rock outfit, Elvis embedded himself in the pop culture of his time and through to today. Even the top free online entertainment sites will draw from his look, charisma, and appeal to catch the eye of players around the world. According to the SC casino guide from BonusFinder, one of the top sites for no-deposit bonus codes gives 15,000 GC and 2.5 SCs, and just so happens to have some Elvis-themed games. Chief among them has to be Elvis Frog True Ways, which has its titular frog character jive his way around while you play the game.
Elvis’ style and voice remain unmistakable, and given his continued presence in pop culture and previous sales numbers overseas, it’s easy to see why a little town in Wales would be able to stage such a popular event. After all, It’s Now or Never topped the UK charts in 1960 and 2005, while Jailhouse Rock sold almost one million copies in 1985.
While the US is Elvis’ homeland, his popularity crossed the global airwaves and has culminated in a huge festival in the UK. To experience how Europeans celebrate The King, the festival will be underway again in late September 2025.
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