Porthcawl Elvis Festival is an annual event that sees thousands of Elvis fans descend on the Welsh seaside town for a unique celebration of The King.
The festival has been going since 2004 and is said to be the biggest Elvis festival in Europe, with 20 local venues taking part, more than 100 shows to enjoy and about 40,000 attendees.
The event was built around The Elvies Award Show, which remains the highlight of the festival. Awards are presented to Elvis Tribute Artists for categories representing Presley’s wide-ranging appeal and broad performance style.
This year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the Porthcawl Elvis Festival is presenting an award for an LGBTQ Elvis Tribute, celebrating James Haslam for his act, Elberace: A Hunk of Mincing Love.
Shows take place in the Grand Pavilion including The Elvies, and around 100 ETAs (or Elvis tribute artists) are expected over the festival weekend. The festival kicks off on the Friday with heat one of the Elvis competition, and a special show celebrating the 15th anniversary of the event.
As part of the festival, Hi Tide will be hosting more than 100 shows during the weekend, with free admission to the Harbour Lights Bar and Bayroom shows.
Powthcawl is a popular seaside town in South Wales with a promenade, pavilion, funfair and sandy beaches. The town also hosts a jazz festival and a surf competition throughout the year.
When: 27th – 29th September 2019
Where: Porthcawl, South Wales
£: Ticket prices vary depending on the show. Many fringe events are free
More info: www.elvies.co.uk
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