Elvis Experience costing up to £300 branded 'atrocious and misleading'

The experience starts by taking fans on a journey of Elvis's youth, which we learn about from his childhood friend Sam Bell. After an interval in a Hawaii-themed bar with a cardboard cut-out of Elvis, ticket-holders find themselves as audience members in the 1968 comeback special concert that was performed live on NBC.

Elvis Evolution, which opened on Friday for a six-month run, costs £75 for a standard ticket and £300 for a Super VIP option, which includes a mid-show champagne experience, commemorative glass, dedicated seating, a drink at each of the three bars and cloakroom access.

The Baldwins said customers should be refunded and Layered Reality should apologise for "breaking people's dreams".

A Layered Reality spokesperson said: "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.

"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. This is an experience where the story leads the technology, not the other way around."

The experience has had mixed reviews from critics - The Telegraph awarded it one-star and said it had "limp and indifferent offerings", but CityAM described it as "incredibly touching" in a four-star review.

TimeOut gave the show three stars and said it was "made with care and the concert is enjoyable once you accept it for what it is".

And not every fan has been disappointed by the show – on Facebook some ticketholders praised the experience as "well-acted, innovative, exciting and a whole lot of fun". Another added that it seemed "the majority of people were having fun".

But Paige Rannigan, who attended the show on Saturday evening and says she "saved really hard" to afford tickets as a birthday present for her mother, was left in tears and said she felt "it was nothing like what was advertised or promised".

Ms Rannigan suffers from epilepsy and said she was surprised that there were no strobe light/flash warnings either verbally or on signage.

Layered Reality said accessibility was at the forefront of their production process and "have created a detailed FAQs section on our website about any potential issues that may arise during the experience and how to contact us so we can accommodate any changes".

Lizzie Ward also visited the experience as she thought she was seeing a life-size Elvis but described it as a "low quality theatrical performance" and is "desperately" trying to get a refund.

The Elvis Evolution website no longer references any use of holograms in the show but describes the performance as "combining cutting-edge digital technology, live actors and musicians, mind-blowing multimedia and heart-pounding music".

"This walkthrough immersive experience has some seated scenes and themed bars, giving you a multi-sensory journey through Elvis' rags to riches story from country boy to musical icon," it adds.

The experience was delayed by several months from the planned launch date of November 2024.

Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.