After becoming the first Mozambican artist to win a round of Hard Rock Rising and reach the grand final in Johannesburg, Xavier Machiana shares this achievement with the home audience in "The Hard Rock Experience," a concert on Saturday, November 7th, with DUB RUI, Arnaldo Manhice, and Eddy Dimande as special guests.

Mozambican rock takes center stage in an afternoon of live music. On Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 4:00 PM, musician, composer, and actor Xavier Machiana presents “The Hard Rock Experience” at the FEIMA Amphitheater in Maputo: a concert of profound emotions and vibrant performances, lasting until approximately 7:30 PM, designed for enjoying with family and friends.

The show celebrates a historic achievement. In September, Xavier Machiana became the first Mozambican artist to win a round of Hard Rock Rising, an international Hard Rock Cafe competition held in 64 Hard Rock Cafes across 34 countries, and to reach the grand final. Now, he brings that energy back home, to the stage of a city that has supported him for over two decades.

“After representing Mozambique abroad, I want to experience this moment at home, with those who have always been with me. This concert is a sharing: the achievement belongs to all Mozambicans,” says Xavier Machiana.

From the Johannesburg stage to FEIMA.

The Hard Rock Rising competition took place over four rounds, on September 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd. Xavier Machiana won the third round, at the Hard Rock Cafe Sandton in Johannesburg, by audience vote, securing his place in the grand final, held on September 23rd on the same stage. It was the second time in seven days that he had performed on that stage, on a night marked by a special moment: Mozambican artist Orlanda da Conceição, who was in the city to perform at the Joy of Jazz Festival, joined him unexpectedly, in what he himself described as "a true Mozambican encounter in the rainbow nation".

In the final, the public vote placed the South African band Indie Dog in first place, to whom Xavier Machiana publicly extended his congratulations. The Johannesburg performance left the invitation open for new collaborations between artists from Mozambique and South Africa, and it is this spirit of sharing that the Maputo concert aims to extend.

The concert

On stage, Xavier Machiana is accompanied by a band of Mozambican musicians: Ebenezer Sengo (guitar), Realdo Salato (bass), Nelton Miranda (keyboards), Sarmento Cristo (saxophone), Ivan Ferreira (drums), Vekina Mauel and Helena Cuinica (backing vocals). The setlist brings together the sounds that mark the artist's career, ranging from rock, jazz, soul and funk, always with an African identity.