Tupelo Elvis Festival {Events}

The 2018 Tupelo Elvis Festival is one of our favorite events of the entire summer. This year, the festival is celebrating it's 20th anniversary and the party kicks off on June 6th and runs through the 10th. Keep reading for an idea of what you can expect at this year's festival!

Cody Slaughter, an Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Winner, takes the stage at his concert at the BancorpSouth Arena.

For the past 19 years, Elvis fans, young and old, have gathered in his hometown for the annual Tupelo Elvis Festival.  “The Tupelo Elvis Festival is Tupelo’s annual celebration of our favorite native son. It is the perfect weekend getaway to experience all things Elvis’ Tupelo, especially live music,” says Jennie Bradford Curlee, Public Relations/International Sales Director for the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Visitors come from all over to celebrate the life and music of Elvis Presley. The festival draws over 8,000 people to the King of Rock “n” Roll’s birthplace.
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The fun and festivities take place at venues throughout downtown Tupelo.  You can catch live national music acts in Fairpark, the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition at the BancorpSouth Arena, Running with the King 5k race, and the Elvis Look-A-like Pet Parade.  The Tribute Artist Contest serves as a preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. Fans come from near and far to see who will be chosen to represent Tupelo in Memphis during August.  In 2017, the Tupelo Elvis Festival hosted 19 competitors from as far as the UK, Switzerland and Belgium. The competition always serves as the most entertaining aspect of Tupelo Elvis Festival as you grow to love the competitors as they perform their tribute to The King.

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An actor portraying young Elvis during the living history and reenactment of Elvis purchasing his first guitar at Tupelo Hardware, a highly sought out event for Elvis fans. Here he is singing Elvis’ classic hits with the Tribute Artist Competition contestants.

The Weeks take the stage as the headliner at Music at the Mill.

Performer Thomas Sweat of Light Beam Rider/H.A.R.D. jumps into the energetic and lively crowd during The Weeks’ set at Music at the Mill.

Cote Deonath takes the stage during the finals of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Preliminary Competition. This is only moments before he is crowned first place

In addition to all of the great music, the festival features a number of local food vendors, a movie poster exhibit, living history on Main Street, and much more!  The highlight for many festival goers and the conclusion of the weekend is the Gospel Concert on Sunday. Gospel music was an integral part of Elvis’ childhood into adulthood.  The final day of the festival celebrates the importance of gospel music in his life with congregational singing of Elvis’s favorite gospel hymns.
This year’s 2018 festival will be extra special.  “In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Tupelo Elvis Festival, an extra day has been added to the Festival,” says Curlee.  “The festival will be five full days of all things Elvis.”
For more information on the Tupelo Elvis Festival, please visit the event's website. 
Article Written by Jill Dale 
Photos provide by the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau