Hard Rock Cafe London and Piccadilly Circus are hosting Hard Rock Rising, the global music competition launched today by Hard Rock International and Coca-Cola, spanning 34 countries and 64 Hard Rock Cafes, to give emerging artists a career‑launching stage.
For more than five decades, breakthrough artists and legends have taken the stage at Hard Rock Cafes. Coca‑Cola has built a global platform for musicians through Coke Studio L.A. Live. Now, the two brands are joining forces to help singer‑songwriters, bands and DJs launch their careers.
Hard Rock Rising unfolds as a series of live performances at Hard Rock Cafe London and Piccadilly Circus locations. Local fan votes advance artists round by round. The Coke Studio team then selects one grand prize winner who earns a recording session, $10,000, a performance at Hard Rock Orlando and more.
Artist submissions are open now through August 18th, with four live competition rounds running 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd September. The global winner will be announced 5th October.
Joakim Olsen, General Manager at Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, said: “As Hard Rock Cafe was founded in London in 1971, we’re incredibly proud to continue our legacy of championing live music through Hard Rock Rising. This competition gives emerging singer-songwriters, bands and DJs the chance to perform in front of live audiences, grow their local fanbase and compete for an incredible global prize package, including a recording session at Coke Studio L.A. Live, a performance at Hard Rock Orlando and $10,000. We can’t wait to showcase London’s fantastic music scene and see who rises to the top.”
Multi‑platinum, GRAMMY‑ and Juno‑nominated executive producer Rob Rettberg leads the Coke Studio team. The Los Angeles facility houses a professional recording studio built for career‑launching sessions, giving the winning singer‑songwriter, band or DJ a genuine industry platform.
“This partnership taps into Hard Rock’s unparalleled reach and iconic stages while leveraging Coke Studio’s production expertise to transform talented musicians into the next generation of recording artists,” said Rettberg.
The competition is amplified by a full Hard Rock Rising lineup, from a limited-time menu with cocktails made with Coca-Cola products for fans watching the live performances, to collectible merchandise available at Rock Shops® and shop.hardrock.com.
Extending the competition’s celebration of music and self-expression beyond the stage, Hard Rock is partnering with Cult of Individuality, the streetwear brand renowned for its deep roots in music culture and strong connection to today’s artists and fans. Together, the brands will launch a limited-edition Hard Rock Rising tee and an exclusive co-branded apparel collection, bringing the spirit of emerging music talent into fashion.
The Search Is On
Every performance is a chance for friends, family and new fans to champion local artists, helping emerging talent build a real following in their own hometowns.
The competition kicks off in September. Hard Rock Cafe London and Piccadilly Circus will host up to 16 acts across four live rounds, with singer‑songwriters, bands and DJs all welcome. In every round, the audience becomes the judge, voting in real time via a mobile app. Fans score each artist on Musicianship, Fan Support, Vocal Talent, Originality and Stage Presence.
In the fourth and final round, Hard Rock Cafe will crown a local winner with a cash prize and opportunity for a three-month paid residency. Every local champion then advances to the global round. There, the Coke Studio team reviews recorded performances from all 64 Cafe winners and names the grand prize winner on October 5th.
The selected artist will receive a career-launching package:
World-class recording session at Coke Studio L.A. Live, including flights and accommodation
Music distribution across all major streaming platforms
Performance at Hard Rock Orlando
Two-night stay at Hard Rock Hotel Orlando with passes to Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure
$10,000 cash prize
An exclusive assortment of Marshall amplifiers and accessories
