Harry Styles reveals first acts for his curation of Meltdown festival in the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year

The Southbank Centre today announces the first names in the line-up for Harry Styles’ Meltdown, taking place 11–21 June 2026 as part of its 75th anniversary year.

Curated by Harry Styles, the festival spans the Southbank Centre’s multi-venue site, bringing together a wide-ranging line-up of artists across electronic, jazz, pop and experimental music.
As part of his curation, Harry Styles will also perform a headline show at the Royal Festival Hall on 16 June 2026, with full details to be announced soon.

Commenting on his curation of the festival’s line-up, Harry Styles said: “Music is my life, every artist involved in this year’s Meltdown festival means so much to me, both as a fan, and a musician. It’s a true honour to host legends who have paved the way for the generations that follow them, as well as new acts that have inspired me to push my creative boundaries. There are some incredibly unique, one-of-a-kind performances planned and the Southbank Centre is such a special place to experience live music. I hope attendees and performers have an unforgettable time this year at Meltdown. I can’t wait!”

Meltdown opens on Thursday 11 June with a Royal Festival Hall gig from Warpaint (their only show in 2026), whose immersive atmospheric live shows set the tone for a festival shaped by community and connection. The opening weekend sees Stephen Fretwell perform on Friday 12 June in the Purcell Room, bringing his characteristically honest and deeply personal songwriting to an intimate setting. Later that evening, Ninajirachi takes over the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, building a late-night set of shimmering synths and club energy. Shabaka Hutchings and special guests present a one-off collaborative performance in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, rooted in improvisation and musical exchange.

On Saturday 13 June, Erika de Casier fills the Royal Festival Hall with an evening of intimate, dreamy pop. Erika returns to the Southbank Centre having previously performed in its free gig series, futuretense, which showcases future sounds from emerging talent. That evening, Foushée delivers a spellbinding gig in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, with a genre-blurring set that moves between alternative R&B, rock and experimental sound.

On Sunday 14 June, Kamasi Washington presents two performances at the Royal Festival Hall – Jazz Legends Reimagined, revisiting and reshaping canonical works, and Fearless Movement Live, a sweeping, full-ensemble show rooted in spiritual jazz and cinematic composition. In the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Nilüfer Yanya delivers a set that moves between angular guitar work and intimate vocal moments, balancing restraint and emotional intensity.

On Tuesday 16 June, Getdown Services bring their raw, high-energy live show to the Purcell Room, while Styles himself performs at the Royal Festival Hall. Details for Harry’s headline gig are to be announced soon. On Wednesday 17 June, Mulatu Astatke takes to the Royal Festival Hall, bringing his pioneering Ethio-jazz sound to the festival – a richly textured blend of jazz, funk and traditional Ethiopian music, led by one of the genre’s defining figures

On Thursday 18 June, Beverly Glenn-Copeland performs at the Royal Festival Hall, bringing a deeply personal and expansive body of work that blends folk, ambient and electronic music into a set that is quietly profound and emotionally resonant. bar italia bring a genre-blurring sound, which shifts between lo-fi textures, indie rock, folk and experimental pop, to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, while on Friday 19 June, Orlando Weeks takes to the venue for his only solo live show of 2026, combining music and visual storytelling in a performance that moves between song and narrative. At the Royal Festival Hall, the Devonté Hynes Ensemble – featuring Devonté Hynes, Adam Tendler, Cæcilie Trier and Tariq Al-Sabir – presents a special performance that blends contemporary composition, classical instrumentation and experimental arrangements.

The final weekend kicks off on Saturday 20 June with Yussef Dayes at the Royal Festival Hall and Jon Hopkins joined by Maddie Ashman and Leo Abrahams for special improvised performances in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. That evening, James Murphy takes over the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer for a late-night set, bringing his unmistakable blend of electronic, punk and dancefloor energy to the festival’s closing weekend.

Alongside the line-up of gigs, a free programme of participatory events unfolds across the site, inviting audiences of all ages to gather, engage and explore. It will feature a mix of appearances from Styles’ favourite artists beyond music, outdoor performances, as well as family-friendly activity, including hands-on workshops.

Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, 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. Their breadth speaks to Harry’s deep curiosity about music and his wide-ranging passions, moving fluidly across genres, generations and scenes. What’s striking is the sense of connection behind the programme: you can feel the care and intent in every choice. 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.”

Established in 1993, Meltdown has become one of the Southbank Centre’s most distinctive contributions to the UK’s cultural landscape, inviting an artist each year to curate a programme that captures the creative energy of its moment and the interests of the curator. Harry Styles’ Meltdown, presented during the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year, honours that tradition while reaffirming the Southbank Centre’s ongoing commitment to supporting interdisciplinary practice and the next generation of cultural innovators.

Harry Styles will be Meltdown’s 31st curator. Past curators include Little Simz (2025), Chaka Khan (2024), Grace Jones, David Byrne, Yoko Ono, Nile Rodgers, M.I.A., David Bowie and Patti Smith.

Harry Styles’ Meltdown is a highlight of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary programme. The programme includes You Are Here – a spectacular takeover of the site created, directed and designed by Danny Boyle, Paulette Randall, Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl (3 May), Dua Lipa’s London Literature Festival (11 - 21 June), and Anish Kapoor returning to the Hayward Gallery (16 June - 18 October). The onsite activity is joined by a national programme of art, literature and music – aiming to reach 1 million people in over 40 towns and cities across all four nations of the UK.

Harry Styles’ Meltdown takes place 11 – 21 June 2026. Tickets go on sale to Southbank Centre Members on Thu 9 April and for general sale on Fri 10 April. Further line-up details, including on-sale details for Harry Styles’ own headline gig in the Royal Festival Hall, to be announced soon. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/meltdown