At Meltdown Festival, beauty is in the eyes of its curator. A musician is tasked to map out 11 days of perfect sounds in the form of their own lineup; promising a glittering set of acts that are unique each time as it projects the vision of its maker. This year, for Meltdown’s 30th anniversary, Little Simz is that very maker, with the festival taking place on June 12 – June 22.
Announced this morning as the curator of 2025 Meltdown, Little Simz will not only perform a set a the festival herself, but will put together the entire lineup, which spans across two weekends.
As well as star-studded artists that you’ll be able to purchase tickets to see play, there will be free programming, with grassroots collectives and local organisations and special performances with the Southbank Centre completely transformed.
The first names for the Little Simz-curated Meltdown Festival will be announced in the spring, and she joins the likes of Grace Jones, Christine and the Queens, Robert Smith, David Byrne, Yoko Ono, David Bowie and more as artists who have been at the helm of the longest-running artist-curated festival in the word.
Last year, Meltdown was curated by Chaka Kahn, who performed and brought along the likes of Lady Blackbird, Emili Sandé, Incognito, Bruce Hornsby, and many more.
Speaking on the announcement, Little Simz said: “I’m super excited to be the 2025 Meltdown festival curator! My team and I are preparing eleven days of art, music, workshops and more. So many incredible artists have curated this festival so it’s a true honour to be a part of it. Thank you to the Southbank Centre for having me. Meltdown 2025 the Simz way is going to be epic. I’ll see you there.”
Little Simz is set to have a big year, with a new album on the way following the success of her 2022 smash NO THANK YOU and 2021’s Mercury Prize-winning Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.
Meltdown Festival curated by Little Simz will run between June 12 – 22 at the Southbank Centre.