Updated August 2020

Ed. Note 2020: This year the Candlelight Vigil procession through Graceland to the Meditation Garden, will take place in person on August 15, 2020 from 9 p.m. to midnight but with reservations only. As of August 2020, the reservations are sold out. We can't wait for next year's Candlelight Vigil!

The Candlelight Vigil is Elvis Week's main event, and the only one that completely captures the week's unique blend of reverence, kitsch, and fun. It's also one of those things that you've got to do at least once before you die.

Assignment #224 in the 365 Things to Do in Memphis is to queue up at the gates of Graceland for the Candlelight Vigil.

The annual candlelight vigil is an odd mixture of somber and celebratory. The devoted wait in line for hours to file quietly past Elvis' gravesite. Others build makeshift shrines on the street and sit around them in lawn chairs. Quite a few people come in costume.

People come from all around the world, and it's truly a unique experience. Read more here.

The vigil always begins on the evening of August 15th, though the hardcore will be lined up long before that. The line moves until everyone who's wanted to pay their respects has had a chance—usually sometime early the next morning.

Go there:

Elvis Week Candlelight Vigil
Saturday, August 15, 2020 for ticket holders only
9 p.m. - midnight

Graceland