Every January, Graceland transforms from a legendary home into a living shrine—an emotional crossroads where fans from every corner of the world gather to honor the life, music, and myth of Elvis Presley. But the 2026 birthday celebration promises something unprecedented. On January 8—Elvis’s birthday—Graceland will host exclusive early premiere screenings of EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert, giving birthday guests a first look weeks before the film’s global theatrical debut. For devotees who plan pilgrimages years in advance, this is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime moment that turns a celebration into history.
The announcement follows major worldwide distribution news from NEON and Universal Pictures International, confirming that EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert will launch with a special IMAX engagement on February 20, 2026, before expanding to theaters on February 27. The buzz has been building for months, but those who make the January journey to Memphis will be the very first audience to experience the film as it was meant to be seen—loud, luminous, and larger than life.
A Cinematic Homecoming at Graceland
Premieres happen in glossy theaters and on red carpets all the time. But this one is different. Graceland is not just a venue—it’s sacred ground. The hallways still echo with stories of late-night laughter, quiet heartbreaks, and the creative restlessness of a man who never stopped chasing the next sound. Watching a new Elvis concert film here feels like a homecoming, not a marketing event. Fans won’t simply watch a movie; they’ll sit within the orbit of Elvis’s life and legacy, surrounded by artifacts of his world while the screen brings his stage presence roaring back to life.
This setting adds an emotional dimension no IMAX auditorium can replicate. You’re not just witnessing archival footage—you’re experiencing a conversation between past and present, between a home that once held the King and a film that resurrects the electricity he unleashed onstage.
Baz Luhrmann Returns to the King
Visionary director Baz Luhrmann is no stranger to spectacle, rhythm, or emotional maximalism. After his acclaimed narrative film Elvis (2022), Luhrmann returns to Presley’s world with a different mission: not to retell the story, but to put audiences inside the performance. EPiC isn’t a conventional documentary and it’s not just a compilation reel. It’s a reimagined concert experience—curated from rare archival performances, paired with newly restored audio, and presented with immersive visuals designed to make you feel the heat of the stage lights and the thunder of the crowd.
Luhrmann’s signature style—kinetic editing, lush sound design, and emotional sweep—transforms familiar moments into something startlingly present. The goal isn’t nostalgia alone. It’s immediacy. For 90 minutes, Elvis doesn’t feel like a figure from history; he feels like a living force, commanding the room with a voice that still rattles the soul.
Why This Film Feels Different
Concert films can sometimes feel like museum pieces—beautiful, respectful, but distant. EPiC aims to close that distance. By blending remastered sound with restored visuals and cinematic pacing, the film places viewers in the front row of Elvis’s most explosive performances. You don’t just see the sweat on his brow—you feel the rhythm in your chest. You don’t just hear the screams—you sense the cultural shockwave of a performer who changed the rules of popular music in real time.
For longtime fans, the film promises rediscovery. Familiar songs land with renewed force when the audio clarity reveals details lost to time. For newcomers, EPiC is an initiation—a chance to understand why Elvis didn’t just entertain audiences; he altered the emotional temperature of a room. This is what people mean when they say “you had to be there.” Now, you can be.
Elvis’s Birthday Week: A Gathering of Generations
January in Memphis has always carried a special warmth. Fans arrive with stories, scrapbooks, and songs woven into their lives. There are candlelight vigils, concerts, tours, and quiet moments of reflection. The city hums with a shared devotion that crosses age, language, and geography. This year, the early premiere adds a new ritual to the week: a collective gasp as the lights dim, a shared hush before the first note rings out, and a communal thrill as Elvis takes the stage once more.
Being the first audience matters—not for bragging rights alone, but for the intimacy of the moment. Before the headlines, before the reviews, before the film becomes a global event, there’s a room full of fans witnessing something together for the very first time. That’s the magic of premieres done right: they create community, not just content.
From Scarcity to Spectacle: The Man Behind the Myth
It’s easy to forget that behind the rhinestones and roaring crowds was a boy shaped by scarcity and uncertainty. Elvis’s early life—marked by poverty, loss, and the fierce love of his mother—gave him an emotional depth that later poured into his performances. That history is part of why his voice carries such ache and tenderness. He didn’t sing heartbreak as an abstract concept; he sang it as memory. He didn’t perform joy as a pose; he earned it.
EPiC doesn’t dwell on biography, but the emotional truth of Elvis’s life is present in every note. When he leans into a lyric, you hear a lifetime of longing and resilience. When he lets the band swell around him, you sense the relief of a man who found refuge in music. The film becomes a reminder that the spectacle worked because the heart beneath it was real.
IMAX and Beyond: Two Ways to Experience the King
The IMAX release on February 20 promises a sensory onslaught—towering visuals and a sound system powerful enough to make familiar songs feel brand new. But the Graceland premiere offers something equally potent: intimacy. One is scale; the other is soul. Together, they form a perfect pairing—two paths into the same experience of being overwhelmed by Elvis’s presence.
Whether you catch the film in IMAX later or make the pilgrimage for the early screening, EPiC is designed to be felt as much as seen. It’s the kind of event you don’t just watch; you remember where you were when it happened.
A Perfect Opening Note for 2026
There are many ways to begin a year: resolutions, fireworks, quiet reflection. For Elvis fans, 2026 begins with a shared heartbeat—thousands of people, in one place, watching a legend take the stage again. It’s entertainment, yes—but it’s also remembrance, gratitude, and renewal. The film reminds us that music doesn’t age the way people do. When it’s honest, it keeps breathing.
The countdown is on. The anticipation is real. And Elvis’s birthday celebration is about to become truly EPiC. If you’re heading to Memphis this January, you won’t just be attending a premiere—you’ll be stepping into a moment that bridges generations, carrying the King’s voice from the past straight into the present.