If you’ve been waiting for the perfect reason to make the drive to Memphis, this is it. Elvis Presley’s Graceland has laid out one of its most ambitious summer calendars to date, and it covers everything from rare artifacts and intimate mansion tours to live concerts and a massive Fourth of July celebration. The King’s home is open all summer long, and there is genuinely something here for every kind of Elvis fan.
A Brand-New Display That Puts Elvis’s Patriotism Front and Center
The centerpiece of the season is something that’s been a long time coming. Graceland debuted a new limited-time exhibit called The American Spirit of Elvis Presley, which opened Memorial Day Weekend and runs through July 5. It’s housed inside the Racquetball Building and is included with any standard Graceland Mansion tour ticket, so there’s no extra cost to see it.
The display is timed perfectly around America’s 250th anniversary, and it leans into a side of Elvis that often gets overlooked — his deep, genuine love of country. The artifacts on display are the real deal. You can see the gold lamé jacket Elvis wore during his 1961 Pearl Harbor benefit concert, the suit he had on during his famous visit to the Oval Office to meet President Nixon, and the enormous American flag that hung behind him during his 1974 Mid-South Coliseum performances. These aren’t replicas. These are the actual pieces, and getting to see them in person is something else entirely.
Private Tours, a Fancy Dinner, and an Anniversary Night
Memorial Day Weekend also brought back the Private Presley Tours, which ran May 22 through 25. These are small, guided walks through the mansion that zoom in specifically on Elvis’s military service — his time in the Army, his return home, and what those years meant to the man and his career. It’s a more personal look at Graceland than the standard tour, and fans who care about that chapter of Elvis’s life tend to come away from it genuinely moved.
On May 30, the TCB Showroom hosted The King’s Table, a five-course dinner put together by Chef Mario and paired with handcrafted pours from Old Dominick Distillery, a Memphis staple. It’s the kind of evening where good food meets Elvis history, and the combination apparently works better than you’d expect.
Then came June 6, which marked the eve of Graceland’s 44th anniversary as a public museum. To celebrate, Graceland After Hours: An Anniversary Evening gave a very limited number of guests something most people never get — an after-hours tour of the mansion, a behind-the-scenes session in the Graceland Archives with VP of Archives and Exhibits Angie Marchese, live music and dinner in the TCB Showroom, and a private late-night film screening. Packages started at $597.96 for two and included a night at The Guest House at Graceland. Availability was extremely tight, and for good reason.
Live Concerts Running All Summer Long
From June through August, the Graceland Soundstage is hosting a rotating lineup of live performances, and every single concert ticket includes free admission to Elvis Presley’s Memphis after 3 p.m. on the day of the show. The artists confirmed for the season include The Wallflowers, Edwin McCain, Five for Fighting, Chelcie Lynn, Gladys Knight, and Elmiene — a solid mix of rock, pop, and soul that fits the Graceland atmosphere about as well as anything could.
If you’re planning a visit this summer, it’s worth timing your trip around one of these shows. The combination of a concert at the Soundstage and a mansion tour in the same afternoon makes for a pretty full day.
All-American Weekend at the Fourth of July
July 3 through 5 is when things really get loud. Graceland’s All-American Weekend is built around America’s 250th birthday, and it includes live concerts, an Elvis tribute performance, the All-American Gospel Brunch with the Tennessee Mass Choir, VIP experiences, and a full fireworks extravaganza on the night of July 3. It’s also the final weekend of The American Spirit of Elvis Presley display, so if you haven’t made it out by then, this is your last shot.
Hotel packages are available through The Guest House at Graceland that bundle accommodations with event tickets and exclusive extras like a champagne toast and a BBQ dinner. Given the scope of the weekend, those packages are probably the easier way to do it.
Elvis Week 2026 Closes Out the Season
The summer wraps up the way it always does at Graceland — with Elvis Week. This year it runs August 8 through 16, nine full days packed with concerts, panel discussions, special guest appearances, and the beloved Candlelight Vigil that draws fans from literally every corner of the world.
The guest lineup for Elvis Week 2026 is impressive. George Hamilton, John Oates, Jimmy Hawkins, Linda Thompson, Jerry Schilling, and Larry Gatlin are all scheduled to appear. Whether you’re there for the music, the panels, or just the experience of being around tens of thousands of people who love Elvis as much as you do, Elvis Week has a way of reminding you why this music and this man still matter.
Planning a Trip? Here’s What to Know
Graceland is located at 3717 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, about ten minutes from downtown and just three minutes from Memphis Airport. The last mansion tour starts at 4:00 p.m. daily. The Guest House at Graceland offers two summer travel packages — the Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip Package and the Summer Splash offer — both of which include hotel savings and Graceland perks.
Full event details, tickets, and hotel packages are available at Graceland.com.