Christopher BarrettHarry Styles is to curate the Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival this summer.
Styles follows in the footsteps of past Meltdown curators including David Bowie, Ray Davies, Patti Smith, Nile Rodgers and last year’s curator Little Simz.
Styles will perform at the London venue as part of the festival, in between his record-breaking 12-show run at Wembley Stadium (cap. 90,000). Meltdown is scheduled to take place from 11- 21 June.
Presented as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year, Meltdown will see multi-arts activity programmed across the Southbank Centre’s 11-acre site, which includes the Royal Festival Hall (2,780), Queen Elizabeth Hall (915) and Purcell Room (293). The line-up, selected by Styles, will include pop, soul, electronic and rock acts that are yet to be announced.
“It’s a real privilege to welcome an artist with the cultural impact and presence of Harry Styles as curator of Meltdown in our 75th anniversary year at the Southbank Centre,” said Southbank Centre head of contemporary music Jane Beese. “His openness, warmth and instinct for collaboration feel perfectly aligned with the spirit at the heart of the festival. We’re excited to see his vision play out across the whole site, creating space for connection, discovery and joy, and inviting audiences into a Meltdown that reflects the breadth, playfulness and generosity of his artistic world.”
Styles said, “I’m deeply honoured to curate the Meltdown festival, especially for the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year. My goal as the curator is to share the music and art that I love, and to celebrate the rich history of the venue. We both share a passionate belief that music is a vital part of life. It brings us together and the Southbank Centre has been at the heart of it, providing easy access to great music for the past 75 years. I’m incredibly grateful to Southbank for having me, it’s really exciting for me to have this opportunity in such an iconic venue.”