Christopher BarrettThe Harry Styles-curated Meltdown festival will feature a line-of acts including Kamasi Washington, Nilüfer Yanya, Stephen Fretwell, Warpaint, Yussef Dayes and Jon Hopkins.
Harry Styles is Meltdown’s 31st curator, following in the footsteps of the likes of David Bowie, Patti Smith, Chaka Khan, David Byrne, Yoko Ono and last year’s Little Simz.
The event marks part of The Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary, and will run from 11–21 June spanning the entire 17-acre site that includes the Royal Festival Hall (cap. 2,780), Queen Elizabeth Hall (915) and Purcell Room (293).
Other acts due to play the festival include Getdown Services, Mulatu Astatke, Shabaka Hutchings, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Orlando Weeks and the Devonté Hynes Ensemble.
Alongside the line-up of gigs, a free programme of events will be staged across the site, including outdoor performances, family-focused activities and workshops.
Southbank Centre artistic director Mark Ball said, “As we celebrate our 75th anniversary year at the Southbank Centre, it’s incredibly exciting to see the artists in Harry Styles’ Meltdown line-up come together. It’s a line-up – including of course Harry himself – that promises to deliver a classic Meltdown festival, and an opportunity to see Harry’s artistic world manifested in a brand new way for audiences.”