Major news, music fans. Back in February it was revealed that former One Directioner, three-time Grammy winner and general pop culture icon Harry Styles would be curating the 2026 edition of Meltdown, following in the footsteps of David Bowie, Patti Smith, Grace Jones, Jarvis Cocker and countless other musical legends in selecting the line-up for the Southbank Centre’s renowned summer music festival.
And now, hot on the heels of his chart-topping fourth album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, the heartthrob has revealed the first wave of acts set to join him at the central London arts institution this June.
On the bill for Meltdown’s 31st edition is an eclectic roster of established and up-and-coming artists, including plenty of artists born or based in the capital.
Harry Styles’s Meltdown opens with Warpaint’s only live date in 2026. The California-based indie rock outfit will play at Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 11 June in what promises to be an atmospheric opening for the eleven-day festival. The festival’s first Friday will feature gigs from folk singer Stephen Fretwell (Purcell Room, Fri 12 June), electronic producer Ninajirachi (Queen Elizabeth Foyer, Fri 12 June) and British jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist Shabaka Hutchings, who will be inviting a host of special guests to join him on stage at the Queen Elizabeth Hall for a one-off collaborative performance (Fri 12 June).
Also appearing over the opening weekend are experimental pop singer Erika de Casier (Royal Festival Hall, Sat 13 June), American R&B singer Foushée (Queen Elizabeth Hall, Sat 13 June), London-based singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya (Queen Elizabeth Hall, Sun 14 June) and jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington appearing alongside his eight-piece band at Royal Festival Hall (Sun 14 June).
Meltdown 2026 continues with post-punk duo Getdown Services (Purcell Room, Tue 16 June), Ethopian jazz icon Mulatu Astatke (Royal Festival Hall, Wed 17 June), London-based indie-rock trio bar italia (Queen Elizabeth Hall, Thu 18 June) and legendary singer and trans activist Beverly Glenn-Copeland (Royal Festival Hall, Thu 18 June), while Styles will play his own mid-week headline gig, with further details due to be announced soon.
The festival’s second weekend kicks off with The Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks’ only solo show of 2026 (Royal Festival Hall, Fri 19 June) and a really exciting gig from the Devonté Hynes Ensemble, featuring consisting singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) debuting some experimental new compositions alongside collaborators Tariq Al-Sabir, Adam Tendler and Cæcilie Trie (Royal Festival Hall, Fri 19 June).
The festival’s second weekend will also feature gigs from south London-based jazz dummer Yusuf Dayes (Royal Festival Hall, Sat 20 June) and ambient DJ Jon Hopkins, who will be joined by instrumentalists Maddie Ashman and Leo Abrahams for special improvised performances (Queen Elizabeth Hall, Sat 20 June) before the legendary LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy closes out Meltdown with an unmissable late-night set running into the early hours (Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, Sat 20 June).
And as usual, the ticketed gigs and club nights aren’t the only things worth checking out; there’ll also be take a variety of free outdoor performances, family-friendly activities and hands-on workshops featuring some of Harry Styles’s favourite artists beyond music,
‘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,’ Style said about the line-up. ‘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!’
The full line-up for Harry Styles’s Meltdown so far
- Warpaint – Thu 11 Jun, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- Stephen Fretwell – Fri 12 Jun, 7.45pm, Purcell Room.
- Shabaka & Friends – Fri 12 Jun, 8pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
- Ninajirachi – Fri 12 Jun, 11pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer.
- Erika de Casier – Sun 13 Jun, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- Fousheé – Sat 13 Jun, 8pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
- Kamasi Washington: Jazz Legends Reimagined – Sun 14 Jun, 3pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement Live – Sun 14 Jun, 8pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- Nilüfer Yanya – Sun 14 Jun, 8pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
- Getdown Services – Tue 16 Jun, 7.45pm, Purcell Room.
- Mulatu Astatke – Wed 17 Jun, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Thu 18 Jun, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- bar italia – Thu 18 Jun, 7.30pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
- Devonté Hynes Ensemble – Fri 19 Jun, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- Orlando Weeks – Fri 19 Jun, 7.30pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
- Yussef Dayes – Sat 20 Jun, 7.30pm, Royal Festival Hall.
- Jon Hopkins with Maddie Ashman and Leo Abrahams – Sat 20 Jun, 4pm and 8pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall.
- James Murphy – Sat 20 Jun, 11pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer.
When do tickets go on sale?
Tickets for the festival will go on general sale this Friday 10 April, with a presale for Southbank Centre Members on Thursday 9 April. You’ll have to wait a little longer if you’re hoping to secure tickets to Harry’s headline gig, details of which are yet to be announced. Watch this space for further information in due course!
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