Fans of The King rage as Blackpool's Norbreck Castle Hotel doubles cost of Elvis impersonation contest
“It’s crazy.”
Elvis fans have been left All Shook Up after a Heartbreak Hotel doubled the cost of putting on an event which aims to crown the ultimate impersonator of The King.
The Elvis King of the Castle (TKoTC) festival has been held at Blackpool's Norbreck Castle Hotel for the last decade. Hundreds of rock 'n' roll fans attend to celebrate Presley's musical and film career.
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Fans fill more than half the accommodation at the 480-room hotel for four days, earning Norbreck Castle £90,000 last year. But now promoters Dean and Hannah Sullivan from TKoTC have found out it's all about the Money Honey.
Hotel bosses have told the event organisers that the cost of hiring the Norcalympia and ballroom at the hotel is to double - putting the future of the festival in doubt. Dean said: "It's just poor greed, nothing else. Every year we have brought hundreds of visitors to the town from all over the UK and Europe for multiple days.
"These events generate a significant amount of revenue for the hotel and, we believe, Norbreck Castle has made more than £1m in profit from us over the last 10 years,” he alleges. “Up until last year, our working relationship with the venue was stable and collaborative.
"This year's event on May May 22-24, we are paying £10,000 for room hire with a 25 per cent deposit paid upfront. But we have been told room hire for next year's show will be £20,000, with a £22,000 non-refundable deposit for hotel rooms.
"This means that before we can even begin planning the 2027 event, we would need to commit £22,000 with no guarantee of return. The first year we held the event, we made £18,000 profit. This year we will make nothing and next year could make a loss.
"The only option we have is to increase the price of tickets and stop selling them as a package with a hotel room included. This would mean fewer rooms filled at the hotel. It's crazy."
Mr Sullivan said the venue told him the £22,000 deposit was based on a quarter of the revenue generated by last year's event, estimated at £90,000. He added: "We have been advised that if we are not satisfied with the terms being offered, we are free to take the event elsewhere, which they know is impossible or a show this size.
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"Our event requires not just large venue space, but one that is integrated within a hotel. Many of our attendees are older, have mobility challenges or require on-site accommodation. A large proportion have already told us they would be unable to attend if the event moved to a non-hotel venue.
"We want to continue to hold the event in Blackpool. It makes a big contribution to the local economy and is very popular. They return year after year and is an important date in their diaries."
The King of The Castle event sees Elvis impersonators from all over Europe competing for the coveted title.
The Gazette contacted Michael Riches, the event manager at the Britannia-owned hotel, who replied: "I have no comment to make."