It’s long been speculated that AI will mean that not even death will be able to derail an artist’s career, and we may well be about to see evidence of this in the form of Elvis Evolution, a forthcoming immersive show that will see a digital version of Elvis Presley perform ‘live’ in concert. Now that really is a 'comeback special'.
Created by Layered Reality, whose previous credits include immersive shows The Gunpowder Plot and War Of The Worlds, Elvis Evolution will land in London later this year, before moving on to “multiple global cities” (believed to be Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo). Specific venues have yet to be confirmed.
“A life-sized digital Elvis will share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage,” says Layered Reality, adding that this has been made possible by the company’s “unique blend of technology, augmented reality, theatre, projection and multi-sensory effects.”
The precise nature of this “groundbreaking” tech is still to be confirmed, but we do know that AI is involved, and the promise is that “you’ll be able to witness iconic Elvis performances as if you were really there”.
This, we’re told, will be a chance to “celebrate defining moments in Elvis Presley’s extraordinary life and career.” Once the show has finished, fans will be able to enjoy an after party at the same venue; this will feature an Elvis-themed restaurant and bar with live music, DJs and other performances.
The launch of Elvis Evolution follows the highly successful unveiling of Abba Voyage, another London-based show, which enables fans to enjoy a concert performed by avatars of the Swedish four-piece. This uses a combination of 3D animation and giant walls of LED screens.
Elvis Evolution will be the highest-profile virtual musical experience since Abba Voyage made its debut in 2022, but it’s unlikely to be the last. Asked if he’d be interested in the idea of using similar tech to prolong the life of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger has said: “Obviously technology is going to give you some of the answers to this, and who knows what technology lies in store down the road?”
You can join the Elvis Evolution waitlist on the Layered Reality website.
