More than 200,000 people have travelled to Bendigo to visit the sold-out Elvis: Direct from Graceland exhibition.
Key points:
- Elvis: Direct from Graceland is the Bendigo Art Gallery's most successful exhibition
- 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 exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery has attracted 219,000 people, outstripping the Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe exhibitions, which attracted 152,706 and 143,222 people respectively.
The exhibition is considered the gallery's most successful to date and will close to a sell-out crowd on Sunday.
More than 65,000 visitors to the exhibition were first-time visitors to the gallery and 24,000 of the Elvis fans travelled to Bendigo from interstate.
Can't help falling in love with Elvis
Gallery director Jessica Bridgfoot says the exhibition has injected a sense of excitement and energy back into the city.
She said 86 per cent of ticketholders were tourists who lived outside of Bendigo.
"We are thrilled with the way visitors, local businesses and the community at large embraced the exhibition," Ms Bridgfoot said.
She said the team at the gallery had a multitude 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 said Elvis had been a smash hit for Bendigo and for the state.
He said the government had expected the exhibition to be popular, but hadn't dreamed it would be such a success.
"Now, with the return of White Night Bendigo, another blockbuster event will deliver a massive drawcard for visitors to the region and to the state," Mr Dimopoulos said.