End of An Era As Hard Rock Cafe Guitar Removed From Gold Coast

It's official. The iconic Hard Rock Cafe guitar has been taken down in Surfers Paradise, signifying the end of the legendary venue. 

The cafe initially closed down last year, after its 26th anniversary, due to a rental dispute between the restaurant's international arm and management of the Paradise Centre shopping complex. 

It will soon be replaced by a sports bar. 

At the time, it was rumoured that the Hard Rock management was looking for a new location in Surfers Paradise to keep the tradition going. 

Now, the 17m guitar, which was mounted on the Paradise Centre, has been removed, leaving Surfers Paradise residents feeling like a critical piece of their home has been taken away. 

Gold Coast Bulletin spoke to resident Yvonne Bentley, who said, “It was sad to see it gone."

They also reported that the guitar will be stored temporarily before moving to a permanent location. It's not disclosed where that location will be. 

First arriving at the Gold Coast in the mid-1990s, bringing with it an incredible collection of music memorabilia, including a black sequined suit owned by Elvis Presley and the suede jacket owned by The Beatles’ John Lennon and worn on the cover of the 1965 album Rubber Soul.

 There were also T-shirts and signed albums from the likes of Silverchair, INXS and Hootie and the Blowfish.