It may be the fiftieth anniversary of rock 'n' roll, but the future of an annual Elvis Presley festival in his home town of Tupelo, Mississippi is looking shaky. Their 2004 event last Jun lost just under $5,500, the second year running it has made a loss - plus organisers are having to cope with a 50% cut in contribution from the local tourist body.
Festival chairman Gary Bailey told reporters this week: "It is a serious situation. We have to do whatever we can to make it successful next year."
Defending their subsidy cut, Linda Butler Johnson of the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau said: "We love festivals, and we love to help with seed money, but over a period of time we need to pull back and let them stand on their own feet".