Hard Rock International celebrated the opening of its European Flagship Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus. The night kicked off with an all-star red carpet lineup including Keane, the guitarist from The Amazons Chris Alderton, Slipknot’s Sid Wilson, along with James Lock (TOWIE), Lauren Goodger (ex-TOWIE and Celebs Go Dating), and stars from Love Island and across UK TV.
Hard Rock Executives, fans and partners arrived at the party in style riding an open-top bus from Hard Rock Cafe Old Park Lane down to Piccadilly Circus, escorted by a convoy of Harley Davidson riders. The party kicked off with a Fender ‘Guitar Smash’ – Hard Rock’s twist on a classic ribbon cutting – led by presenter, music blogger and TV judge Matt Spracklen to mark the official opening. The guitars used for the smash are much loved yet broken, so no new guitars were harmed during the celebration. Members of the Hard Rock Executive joined Slipknot’s Sid Wilson by smashing their guitars along with Rita Gilligan, Hard Rock’s longest-serving waitress of 48 years.
Following the smashing kickoff, guests got a taste of Hard Rock’s recently debuted new menus and legendary cocktails including House-Infused Gin & Tonic and Fresh Pineapple Martini. Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus features Hard Rock’s newest menu innovations including more than 20 new offerings – and guests were treated to snippets of all, including a smokehouse and salmon station, Moving Mountain Vegan Burger and Legendary Burger sliders, and shareables including spicy shrimp and spinach dip.
“We could not be more thrilled to celebrate the opening of our flagship location in Europe with a launch party that certainly lived up to our 48-year legacy,” said Stephen K. Judge, President of Cafe Operations for Hard Rock International. “Our new state-of-the-art flagship embodies our modern vision for the brand, and we’re looking forward to continuing the party in London for another 48 years. Keep your eyes peeled for some of the fantastic food and drinks, merchandise, music and events we have planned for this new location.”
The evening’s world-class entertainment was headlined by an exclusive performance from Keane, ahead of their sold-out UK tour. Other performances included unique buskers from central London who wowed on the Flavours of Piccadilly stage along with a fashion show flash mob by Laura B, featuring some of Hard Rock’s exclusive merchandise, and DJ Katie Owen, UK’s hottest up-and-coming female DJ, spinning tunes all night.
The night also honored music legend Freddie Mercury as Hard Rock presented a check of $100,000 from its annual Freddie for a Week and Pride celebration to Jim Beach and Emma Donoghue from The Mercury Phoenix Trust, a UK charity created in memory of Freddie Mercury by Queen band members Brian May and Roger Taylor together with their manager Jim Beach to support the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Hard Rock has proudly supported the organisation for nearly a decade and this launch party was fit to celebrate a music icon.
Those looking to dine at Hard Rock Cafe can find their local Cafe and make a reservation by visiting www.hardrockcafe.com