Bendigo Art Gallery’s Elvis exhibition attracts over 200,000 visitors

Since it opened in March 2022, Bendigo Art Gallery’s ‘Elvis: Direct from Graceland’ exhibition has attracted 219,000 people with the exhibition considered to be the gallery's most successful to date. The exhibition closed to a sell-out crowd on Sunday 19th July 2022.

The box office record set by 'Elvis: Direct from Graceland' beats out previous major Bendigo International Collections exhibitions, including Grace Kelly: Style Icon and Bendigo Art Gallery and Twentieth Century Fox present Marilyn Monroe, which attracted 152,706 and 143,222 people respectively.

Exhibitions like this deliver a huge boost for local businesses, tourism to the region, and the economy.  Not including Elvis: Direct from Graceland, more than 400,000 people have attended Bendigo International Collections exhibitions – generating an economic impact of over $40 million for Greater Bendigo.

Created in partnership with Graceland, the exhibition is exclusive to Victoria and explores the extraordinary life and style of “The King of Rock & Roll” through a dazzling display of 300 artefacts owned by Elvis.

Elvis’s impressive collection of memorabilia has attracted a whole new audience to Bendigo Art Gallery with 67,000 of the attendees being first-time visitors. Approximately 86% of ticket buyers have been from outside of Bendigo, with over 24,000 of those guests travelling from out-of-state to view the exhibition.

Supported by the Victorian Government’s Major Events Fund through Visit Victoria, Elvis: Direct from Graceland is part of a full calendar of major events in 2022, helping to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.

One of these events is the highly anticipated White Night Bendigo, which will take over Bendigo on Saturday 3rd September, featuring captivating art activations, including two world premieres – and a host of food and music offerings throughout the city.