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Elvis Evolution has been panned by critics and viewers alike, with some calling the new Elvis Presley show a “complete shambles”.
Advertising for the “immersive concert experience” said a blend of AI and hologram technology would be used to create a life-size digital hologram of the star from home video footage and personal photos. Creator Andrew McGuiness promised fans the show would feel more like “time travel” than the hugely successful ABBA Voyage.
However, fans have been comparing the show to the disastrous Willy Wonka experience that went viral last year after scathing reviews forced it to close just hours after opening. Fans attending Elvis Evolution found there was no hologram and were instead treated to a cardboard cut-out of the King.
The experience charts Presley’s childhood and rise to fame, with a focus on his friendship with Sam Bell. After an interval at a Hawaii-themed bar, fans found themselves as audience members at the iconic 1968 comeback special concert, as performed by a three-piece band.
Some attendees took to social media to say that the show, for which tickets range from £75 to £300, was “abysmal”, with one X/Twitter user appealing to Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis for advice on a refund.
i’m so obsessed with the abysmal elvis evolution saga the cardboard cutout has me absolutely howling
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— Ruby Naldrett (@rubynaldrett) July 23, 2025
Hi Martin. I’m one of the 800 people on the facebook page complaining about Elvis Evolution. The whole thing is a complete shambles and a disgrace to the name of Elvis Presley and his loyal fans. Please help us all get the refunds and the apologies we all deserve. Thank you.
— nigel sheldrake (@nigelvis) July 28, 2025
However bad the reviews for Elvis Evolution you’ve seen are I promise the show is 10x worse. Jesus Christ
— Hodgson (@CJHODGY) July 25, 2025
As noted by The Independent, bad reactions to the show – ranging from boos to walk-outs – were so pronounced, screens at the venue displayed a warning that “every member of the Elvis Evolution team puts their heart and soul into entertaining you,” adding that any abuse toward them would not be tolerated.
It comes after organisers reported that an elderly man was carried out of a show by security after being “verbally aggressive” towards staff, having allegedly called the immersive experience “bollocks”, per The Sun.
A spokesperson for Elvis Evolution told the publication: “A guest attending the event on Sunday night became verbally aggressive towards our staff. “Despite being politely asked to stop, the behaviour escalated, with the guest explicitly stating his intention to continue making threats towards our staff and performers.
“The on-site management team engaged promptly and professionally, requesting that the individual leave the venue. When he refused to comply, the security team were called to assist, and the individual was subsequently removed from the premises.
Fans have taken to Facebook to form a group, nearly 1,000 members strong, called Elvis Evolution – dissatisfied customers, with critics noting the disappointment was palpable at the shows.
The Independent noted “definite upset and discontent in the crowd”, while Time Out highlighted “a noticeable amount of booing”, likely due to the lack of immersive technology deployed as advertised.
A spokesperson for Layered Reality told the BBC: “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.
No wonder why they were telling people not to “abuse the staff”
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— Jessica (@Coh4life) July 21, 2025
“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.”
The post “Atrocious” ‘Elvis Evolution’ London show hit by terrible reviews, walk-outs and angry pensioner being dragged out appeared first on NME.