More than 200,000 people have traveled to Bendigo to visit the sold-out Elvis: Direct from Graceland exhibition.
Key points:
- Elvis: Direct from Graceland is the most successful exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery
- More than 219,000 people have visited the exhibition since it opened in March
- The sold-out exhibition ends on Sunday
Since it opened in March, the Bendigo Art Gallery exhibition has attracted 219,000 people, surpassing the Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe exhibitions, which attracted 152,706 and 143,222 people respectively.
The exhibition is considered the most successful in the gallery to date and will close on Sunday with sold out audiences.
More than 65,000 visitors to the exhibition were first-time visitors to the gallery and 24,000 of Elvis fans traveled to Bendigo from the interstate.
People line up to enter the Elvis: Direct from Graceland exhibition. (Supplied by: Bendigo Art Gallery)
I can’t help but fall in love with Elvis
Gallery director Jessica Bridgfoot says the exhibition has once again injected a sense of excitement and energy into the city.
He said 86 per cent of ticket holders were tourists living outside Bendigo.
“We are delighted with the way visitors, local businesses and the community at large accepted the exhibition,” Ms Bridgfoot said.
Most of the exhibit ticket buyers were from outside Bendigo. (Supplied by: Bendigo Art Gallery)
He said the gallery team had a lot of ideas about what was to follow Elvis.
The gallery’s next exhibition season will feature historic and contemporary Chinese art and design.
Victorian Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos visits the Bendigo Art Gallery to mark the success of the exhibition. (ABC Central Victoria: Emma D’Agostino)
Victoria Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos said Elvis had been a huge success for Bendigo and the state.
He said the government hoped the exhibition would be popular, but had not dreamed it would be so successful.
“Now, with the return of White Night Bendigo, another hugely successful event will offer a massive raffle card for visitors from the region and the state,” Dimopoulos said.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. The Elvis exhibition travels from Graceland to Bendigo
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