On Monday night, throngs of Elvis Presley devotees gathered on Elvis Presley Boulevard for the yearly “Candlelight Vigil” at Graceland to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the late singer’s passing.
Following the candlelight vigil, people made their way up the long driveway to the “Meditation Garden” on the south side of the home, where Elvis Presley is buried.
The walk was anticipated to extend well past midnight and into Tuesday morning, according to Graceland officials, who said they expected anything between 5,000 and 25,000 people to make it.
Among the “honor guard” who lined the driveway like palace guards as people passed between them were members of fan clubs from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and Scotland.
They were dressed in handcrafted Elvis jewelry, print skirts and shirts, and even Elvis jumpsuits.
Graceland appears to have recovered following the “socially distant” vigil of 2020, which only allowed a small number of attendees due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and the rather low-key vigil of 2021.
One of the oldest such groups in the world, the Official Elvis Fan Club of Great Britain, which has 140 members, was among those who not only went through a security barrier but also traversed an ocean to get to Graceland.
Priscilla Presley noted during her remarks at the beginning of the vigil that many people are rediscovering their love for Elvis, in part because of the popularity of the Baz Luhrmann film “Elvis,” which is appealing to a younger audience.
