8 Ways To Celebrate Elvis' 89th Birthday

8 Ways To Celebrate Elvis' 89th Birthday

Elvis would be 89 years old on January 8, 2024.

Whether you're a card-carrying Elvis fan club member or just like an excuse to enjoy a special day, here are eight ways to honor the King's birthday on January 8.

Vasha Hunt

How To Celebrate Elvis's Birthday:

1. Tune in to the Graceland Official Birthday Proclamation Ceremony

Graceland throws down for The King with a week of events and parties. Check out the details here. The annual birthday ceremony at Graceland will be broadcast online if you can't make it to Memphis in person this year.

2. Say Happy Birthday "In Person" during free walk-up times

Free walk-up visits to the Meditation Garden at Graceland are daily 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. You may enter the gates and visit the grave sites of Elvis and his family members during this time. 

3. Listen to Elvis and Elvis-inspired Music

Find your favorite Elvis song (mine is "Suspicious Minds") on the Elvis Spotify playlist. Click here to listen.

4. Visit the "The Making Of ELVIS: Movie Exhibition" 

The Graceland Exhibition Center debuted the exhibition following the 2022 Baz Luhrmann ELVIS movie last year and has since added more items to the collection. You can see behind-the-scenes videos from the making of the film, plus artifacts, scripts, handwritten notes, props, and costumes. More about The Making of Elvis: Movie Exhibition here. Hurry because it closes in March 2024.

5. Take Your Picture With Elvis

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If you're downtown, stop by the statue on Beale between 2nd and Main for a photo opp with Elvis. Bonus points if you post it online and tag it #ilovememphis or #happybirthdayElvis so I can share it on Twitter or Instagram.

6. Check out Lansky Bros. at 126 Beale Street, or online

Lansky Bros., the family business that dressed Elvis, still has their location inside the Peabody Hotel. The newest location is where their original store was on Beale Street and is temporarily closed. There is plenty of rock 'n' roll-inspired attire and even some blue suede shoes. You can also shop online.

lansky brothers clothier to the king

7. Plan to visit Sun Studio 

Alex Shanksy

If you haven't visited Sun Studio yet, make a plan to get there in the future. The tour guides are some of the absolutely best around and though the building is small, it's full of life, history, and intrigue. I highly recommend.

8. Plan To Visit Other Memphis Music Attractions

So much of Memphis music influenced or was influenced by Elvis' work. Plan ahead to pay homage to his inspirations and legacy at these other museums in the future.

  • The Rock 'n' Soul Museum is a Smithsonian-associated museum that tells the story of Memphis music across genres and time periods. I love how it looks at the city's musical history as a whole, and uses first-person accounts (mostly audio recordings) to really dig deep. 
  • Memphis Music Hall of Fame (Elvis was inducted in 2012) has a physical location at 126 Beale Street upstairs from Lansky Bros. 
  • Take the Backstage Experience Tour where Elvis had his first live concert in 1954.

Bonus: Eat some Elvis-inspired treats, like Elvis' favorite sandwich

  • Birthday treats for everyone!
  • Or, you can head over to Elvis Presley's Memphis (the entertainment complex across the street from Graceland ) to the "Gladys' Diner" restaurant and order your very own PB&B sammy.
  • The Arcade restaurant in downtown Memphis was one of Elvis' favorite spots, and they still serve up a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Happy Birthday Elvis! How are you celebrating?

Comments Make Us Happy

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Denise Skelton UK
I would love to be there in Memphis right now, unfortunately im not but I am hoping for lots of items to be posted on FB so I can feel like Im there. I came over there in 2015 for the first time and it blew me away, the whole experience was awesome and ive not stopped thinking about it since. I will be back there in 2017 to join in the celebrations in Elvis week. Have fun everyone.
January 7, 2016 7:03pm
Tony gordon
Been wanting to go to graceland all my life I will be there soon an it will be this year. Can't wate to get there long live the king of rock and roll happy birthday elvis. I'm a big fan.
January 5, 2017 2:29pm
Jo Schwalm
Hi Holly, Thanks so much for your blog and all the Memphis information. My husband and I are coming to Memphis from April 13 (my 71st birthday) to April 21. We are so excited. So much to see and do!! I appreciate all the ideas on your blog of places to go, eat, and experience.
March 1, 2019 3:53pm
Nikola Webster

Hi there,

I got the chance to visit Graceland for the first time last year. We also visited Sun Studio's: https://britonthemove.com/visit-graceland/ both are fantastic! I did not know that he would have been 86 this year. While we were there we got to pay our respects at the meditation garden where he rests. Nikki

March 1, 2021 1:43am
Francine Romano

We just came home from Graceland on July 12 th 2021. It was some thing I wanted to do for years ! My husband gave miss this as a gift! It was a amazing sight to see something I will never forget! I love him for this gift. Seeing what his life was like! Seeing his house and things he left for his family Lisa Marie life with her daddy Priscilla and his wedding outfit and Priscilla‘s gown and little Lisa’s bedroom said it was something to see and the way he lived was not so extravagant it was very simple but he saved everything receipts his wallet his keys things of his life he died at such a young age but he left his music behind and now he is gone but he’s not forgotten I was only five years old when I started having and loving hisMusic he’ll always be someone special to everyone may God bless him and I always watch over his family

July 20, 2021 3:48pm
Holly Whitfield

Thank you for the wonderful note! I'm so glad you enjoyed your visit to Memphis.

August 6, 2021 8:01pm
Daniel Elder

My birthday is January 8th I am an Elvis baby will be there on the 13th to honor the man

January 12, 2022 5:02am
Sherry Guajardo

Never been to Memphis. But I will soon.

August 12, 2022 4:18am
Jerry griffith

I love elvis very much and hope to meet him in heaven some day

August 23, 2022 5:32pm
joann hodge

i love elvis

August 25, 2022 6:27am
Debbie Brannon

I still love Elvis so much. I am watching G.I. Blues right now. I would have have anything to have saw him but I was too young by then. He just didn’t realize how many people all over the world loved him and still does because I’m one of them. He was one handsome man. 

September 2, 2022 1:44am
Charles Richar…

Elvis has always been number one, also all my family & friends love his music & memories 

September 17, 2022 1:04pm
Debra Morey

 I have listen to the king since I was 5 yrs old.I sometimes feel cheated because we did not get to see him grow old gracefully but,I am very happy we got to share the time we did,there is not a day I don't think about him. He was nothing but superb,and that is putting it mildly.

September 18, 2022 1:28am