The Porthcawl Elvis Festival of 2022 is just kicking off this weekend, with thousands of residents, tourists, and Elvis fans expected to arrive in the seaside town to join in with the festivities. The festival, started by founder Peter Phillips in 2004 is currently recognised as the biggest of its kind in Europe, as well as one of the biggest in the world, with preparations from organisers and council staff beginning months in advance.
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Whether you're heading to Porthcawl for a day at the beach or a weekend of rock and roll, here is everything you need to know ahead of this weekend's celebrations.
When does the Elvis Festival start?
This year's Porthcawl Elvis Festival kicks off on Friday September 23, with the official festival launch taking place at 12.30pm for VIP ticket holders at the town's Heartbreak hotel.
Later in the day the first heat for the Best Festival Elvis Competition will take place at the Grand Pavilion at 2.30pm, with a number of shows and events taking place until the festival ends on Sunday evening.
Scheduled Events
While the official home of the Elvis Festival is Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion, there will also be a number of marquee events held at the Hi Tide as well as other venues around the town over the course of the weekend.
An Elvis-themed Park Run will take place on Saturday morning and licensed charity bucket collections have also been agreed in the town centre, Eastern Promenade areas, as well as at the entrances to Coney Beach and Sandy Bay.
Grand Pavilion schedule:
- Best Festival Elvis heat 1, Friday 23 September, 2:30pm
- The New Kings, Friday 23 September, 7:30pm
- Best Festival Elvis heat 2 and grand final, Saturday 24 September, 12pm
- The Elvies, Saturday 24 September, 7:30pm
- The Elvis Gospel Show, Sunday 25 September, 12pm
- Classic Elvis, Sunday 25 September, 4pm
- Trilogy, Sunday 25 September, 7:30pm
Tickets
Tickets for the Elvis festival events at the Pavilion can be purchased from the Grand Pavilion Box Office here, starting at £8.50 for some events.
Road closures
Bridgend County Borough Council has confirmed which local roads will be temporarily closed in order to help keep music fans safe during this year’s Porthcawl Elvis Festival.
An all-day road closure will be in place along the esplanade between Porthcawl Marina and the Sea-bank Hotel on Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25. While timings may vary slightly in order to ensure the smooth running of the event, the road closure is planned to last between 6am on Saturday through to midnight on Sunday.
Temporary diversions will be in place and drivers are asked to pay close attention to signage when driving in and around the town over the festival weekend. One-way systems will also be in place at Victoria Avenue, Doddridge Way, Park Avenue and Dock Street, in order to minimise congestion on the diversion routes.
Meanwhile, while the majority of the Eastern Promenade will be closed to all vehicles other than taxis, coaches and mini-buses that are dropping Elvis fans off at the event, Salt Lake car park will still be open and accessible.
What it means to the town
Founder Peter Phillips said: "The Porthcawl Elvis festival started in the pavilion in 2004 when the managers asked me if I had any fresh ideas for shows there. I had this idea to do an awards show for Elvis tribute artists, and later spoke to people at the Hi Tide who wanted to make it in to a weekend event, so we set the festival up from there.
"It really took off after that, and although it took a couple of years for other venues in the town to get behind it, within three years it was already the biggest Elvis festival in Europe and a massive success. It's a massive festival that's known around the world and is important to us as it puts Porthcawl on the map."
Bridgend Councillor leader Huw David added: "The Elvis Festival is known to be Europe’s largest gathering of Elvis fans, attracting thousands of people every year to the seaside town of Porthcawl.
"Lots of preparation is involved in the organisation of the festival, as numerous venues participate in setting up the Elvis themed events.
"South Wales Police also have a significant role to play in the forthcoming occasion. Police officers will have full presence in the town, together with council enforcement officers who will also be monitoring the event, to ensure that all involved adhere to the necessary regulations."
You can read more of our stories from Porthcawl here, or subscribe to our weekly Bridgend borough newsletter here.
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