Established in 1971 by founders Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London, Hard Rock Cafe has long been synonymous with bar-restaurants that champion live music. That same spirit continues in the Philippines, where OPM icons such as Arnel Pineda, Kitchie Nadal, and True Faith have all taken the cafe’s stage.

But beyond serving as a venue for established artists, Hard Rock Cafe is also creating space for the next generation of Filipino musicians through Universiteen 2.0, its youth-centered campaign supporting local music. Through the initiative, young performers are given the chance to showcase their talent live at Hard Rock Cafe Makati.

In an interview, Clint Brian Peck, director for operations of Hard Rock Cafe, shared that the program is now in its second year, which inspired the “2.0” title to make it more relatable to younger audiences. According to Clint, the

“We wanted to open the stage for the younger musicians and performers,” he said. “Hard Rock can cater to them and be an establishment where they can perform on a live stage.”

Interested performers can sign up through a QR registration link launched by the café. Clint revealed that the response has been overwhelming, with around 25 sign-ups recorded just days after applications opened. Actual performances are expected to begin by June.

Unlike the first Universiteen event, which held performances in the evening, this year’s edition will stage performances in the late afternoon to better accommodate students. Most participants are college students and young musicians aged 25 and below, although indie bands are also welcome.

Beyond the open sign-ups, the café also scouts artists performing in other venues and invites promising acts to join the lineup. The campaign follows Hard Rock’s “support local” advocacy while remaining rooted in its mantra, “Love All, Serve All.”

Clint also recalled how emotional the previous edition became for families and supporters who watched the young acts perform. Parents, teachers, classmates, and relatives filled the venue to cheer on the musicians. For him, the initiative is more than just another live music event. It is also about creating opportunities for future OPM icons.

“Maybe one of the performers right now is the future Parokya ni Edgar or Eraserheads,” he said.

Among the first groups to become part of the program is rising Filipino pop-rock band Next One. The group is composed of Ezekiel del Rosario, 22, Elijah del Rosario, 20, and Anton “Ant” Laron, 21, who are all taking up Bachelor of Arts in Music Production at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, alongside Alean Soto, 26, who studied Information Technology.

The band joined Universiteen’s 2025 run, where some of their performances went viral online. Since then, the group has returned to perform at the café several times.

“The ambience and the people are way different at Hard Rock Cafe,” the group shared in an interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “There are venues where people go just to eat or drink, but people who go to Hard Rock Cafe really appreciate the performance and the musicians being featured for that night and event, and that is something you can never replicate from the POV of a performer.”

The band added that performing at Hard Rock Cafe helped them build connections within the music industry while gaining supporters along the way. With their talent, discipline, and stage presence, the group has since signed with a record label.

“As a rising OPM band performing at Hard Rock Cafe, it was very intimidating in the beginning since we knew Hard Rock Cafe as a staple venue for performers locally and internationally,” they said. “Despite all that, it taught us to be confident and to connect with people who go there to listen to good music and watch great performances.”

The group also expressed gratitude to the café for continuously supporting emerging artists.

“We would like to thank Hard Rock Cafe again for always giving opportunities to rising OPM acts like us and for using their staple status in the industry to show support for smaller artists,” they said. “To our supporters, even if our community is still growing, we thank you all for the trust this early in our career, and we hope to see you all soon until the day we can finally say that we’ve made it, and even beyond that.”