Elvis Performs at Olympia Theater in 1956
The fast rising Elvis Presley performed seven shows at the Olympia Theater in downtown Miami on August 3rd and 4th in 1956. Here is the story of Elvis appearances in Miami in 1956.
By the summer of 1956, Elvis Presley was rapidly becoming a household name. His breakout hit, “Heartbreak Hotel,” released in January, had soared to the top of the charts by April, cementing his status as a national sensation and a rising star in the new era of rock and roll. While many know the story of Elvis’ rise to fame as the King of Rock and Roll, few realize that one of his early performances took place at Miami’s historic Olympia Theater in downtown Miami.
In early August 1956, the Olympia Theater played host to the 21-year-old phenom during the height of his meteoric rise. Over the span of just two days, Elvis performed seven sold-out shows, electrifying downtown Miami and leaving an indelible impression on the fans who packed the theater to witness a legend in the making.
The Olympia Theater
Designed by renowned architect John Eberson, the Olympia Theater was conceived as an “atmospheric theater”, a style intended to transport audiences to an exotic European courtyard or garden, rather than a conventional, box-like performance space. Built in 1925 by Paramount and located at 174 East Flagler Street in downtown Miami, the Olympia is a prime example of this popular 1920s theater design. Eberson, born in what is now Romania, was considered a master of the atmospheric style and also designed the Tampa Theater. Today, the Olympia and the Tampa Theater are among the few surviving examples of his work, and the last atmospheric theaters still standing in Florida.
In addition to its architectural significance, the downtown Miami theater was a technological marvel for its time. With ten stories of office space above the theater, it was one of the first air-conditioned buildings in the South. Its striking Moorish-style brick façade and ornate interior immediately captivated the public when it opened in February 1926, quickly becoming a beloved cultural landmark in Miami.
The Olympia Theater was known for its exceptional acoustics and its signature atmospheric ceiling, which simulated a night sky complete with drifting clouds and twinkling stars. When it opened, it served as a venue for silent films and could seat approximately 2,000 patrons. Between 1929 and 1954, the Olympia hosted vaudeville performances before returning to its original use as a movie theater in 1954.
For much of the 20th century, the Olympia was one of several theaters that lined Flagler Street, creating what was effectively a bustling theater district in downtown Miami. But in August of 1956, when news broke that a young, rising star named Elvis Presley would be performing there, the Olympia quickly became the epicenter of excitement, especially for Miami’s teenagers, who turned their attention and energy toward the theater that weekend.
Rigorous Florida Tour Schedule
By August 1956, Elvis Presley’s popularity among teenagers and young adults was reaching a fever pitch. Just months earlier, on March 2, Colonel Tom Parker had officially taken over as his manager. Through a series of high-profile national television appearances that spring and summer, Elvis saw his fame and record sales skyrocket.
As his first movie, Love Me Tender, set to begin later that month, Elvis’s days on tour were about to become limited as he shifted focus to a film career that would make him a major box office draw. Before stepping off the road, Parker filled Elvis’ schedule with a whirlwind tour of Florida in early August.
The tour included stops in seven Florida cities, beginning in Miami with an electrifying run of seven shows over two days at the Olympia Theater. Once the announcement was made that Elvis would perform on August 3rd and 4th, excitement in Miami exploded, especially among the city’s youth, who eagerly prepared to see the rising icon live on stage.
Anticipation of Elvis Performing in Miami
Even before Elvis Presley’s lavender Lincoln pulled up in front of the Olympia Theater on Friday, August 3rd, excitement was already reaching a fever pitch. According to Miami Herald reporter Dene Petitclerc, fans began lining up outside the theater before Thursday. By midday Friday, the line had stretched around the block.
Upon arriving in Miami, Elvis went directly to the nearby Robert Clay Hotel to check in. Colonel Tom Parker had declined an invitation to stay at the luxurious Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach, fearing the chaos that might erupt if fans discovered Elvis’s whereabouts. The Robert Clay, located just steps from the Olympia, offered a more practical and discreet option given the tight performance schedule.
Shortly after Elvis got settled in his hotel room, an enterprising Miami Daily News reporter, Bella Kelly, managed to secure an exclusive interview. In a playful reveal, Presley admitted he never wore “blue suede shoes” offstage, worried they might get trampled by the crowds of enthusiastic fans clamoring to get close to him.
The Shows at the Olympia
Elvis Presley was scheduled to take the stage for his first show at the Olympia Theater at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, August 3rd. Around 4 p.m., he finally appeared, dressed in a lavender jacket, black pants, and white shoes, and the crowd erupted. The energy in the theater surged the moment Elvis launched into his signature dance moves, sending fans into a frenzy.
To manage the excitement, a team of Miami police officers surrounded the stage. Watching the reaction unfold, one officer reportedly shook his head and remarked that he hadn’t seen anything like it since Frank Sinatra burst onto the scene. Still, even with security in place, one fan managed to rip a piece from Elvis’s pink jacket. Another grabbed at his black pants, tearing off a fragment.
Between performances, Elvis cut up the damaged pants himself and stepped out onto a landing on the fire escape, tossing bits of the fabric down to the screaming fans waiting in line for the next show along SE Second Avenue. Although just a small sample of fabric from his pants, the crowd fought for the opportunity to capture a keepsake from the rising star entertainer.
The media was out in full force to cover the spectacle. The Miami Daily News sent Damon Runyon Jr., son of the famed newspaperman, who wasn’t impressed, calling the performance and fan hysteria “contrived” and “obscene.” Meanwhile, Dene Petitclerc of the Miami Herald offered a more detailed and vivid account of the show’s electric atmosphere.
After the first show on Friday, Elvis was spotted exiting through the back door of the Olympia Theater, where a crowd of nearly 2,000 fans had gathered along SE Second Avenue, which began a rush down the alley leading to the back door exit to see the entertainer. It was around 5 p.m., and the mass of people spilled onto the street, blocking rush hour traffic in downtown Miami. According to Damon Runyon Jr., the crowd nearly broke through the police barricade in an attempt to reach the stage door. A Miami Daily News photographer captured the chaos, and the image ran alongside Runyon’s coverage the following day.
By the end of the evening’s final performance, Elvis returned to find his brand-new lavender Lincoln swarmed with messages, love notes, and phone numbers scrawled across the paint in lipstick. The car, just a few weeks old, had become a casualty of fan devotion. The next morning, he visited Miami Lincoln Mercury and traded it in for a sleek new Lincoln Continental Mark II.
Elvis returned to the Olympia on Saturday for four more sold-out shows. The final performance began at 9 p.m., and immediately after the curtain fell, he left town. His next stop: Tampa, where the Florida leg of his 1956 tour continued.
A Lasting Memory
Over the course of two days, approximately 15,000 fans packed the Olympia Theater to witness Elvis Presley perform seven electrifying shows. Among them was 19-year-old Bob Graham, who later recalled the unforgettable “mystique” that surrounded Presley on stage. Historian Arva Moore Parks also shared a vivid memory of standing in the zigzagging crowd along SE Second Avenue after the first show, watching in awe as grown women emerged clutching torn pieces of Elvis’s lavender jacket like prized relics.
Shortly after the Florida tour, Elvis began to scale back his live performances to focus on a rapidly growing movie career and studio recordings. The August 1956 tour would mark his final road stint before fully stepping into Hollywood. Elvis Presley passed away on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. While the world remembers him as the King of Rock and Roll, those who filled the Olympia Theater that summer will always remember the brief moment when Elvis lit up downtown Miami, and left behind memories that would last a lifetime.
Resources:
Florida Historical Society: “Elvis Presley in Florida, August 1956”, August 11th, 2015
Miami Beach 411: “Elvis Presley’s Miami Connection” Bill Cooke, May 12th, 2010
Blog: “The Olympia Theater – Miami, FL”, Scotty Moore, May 23rd, 2008
Miami Herald: “Ocean of Screams Breaks Over Elvis”, Denne Petitclerc, August 4th, 1956
In 1962, he went to Yankeetown to film "Follow That Dream," and interested onlookers included a teenager named Tom Petty. And though the later "Girl Happy" (with a Fort Lauderdale Spring Break setting) and Clambake (speedboat racing at Miami Marine Stadium) were mainly filmed in California, there were some 2nd unit shots locally.
I have visited the historic Olympia Theater in downtown Miami on many occasions and was aware that Elvis had performed there once upon a day dream. Thank you for bringing that time to life for us. Fabulous research on the subject!