Little Simz Curates 30th Edition Of Southbank Centre's Meltdown Festival

The Southbank Centre has announced Little Simz as the curator of the 30th edition of its iconic contemporary music festival, Meltdown.  Joining a list of previous curators, including some of the world's most famous artists, Little Simz will curate the line-up for the eleven day festival as well as performing herself.

Alongside two weekends of free participatory programming, featuring grassroots collectives and local organisations, and one-of-a-kind performances that have come to characterise Meltdown, the Southbank Centre will be transformed into a spectacular festival open for all. 

Little Simz' Meltdown will take place from Thursday 12 June until Sunday 22 June 2025. The first names for Little Simz' Meltdown will be announced in the Spring.

Commenting on her curatorship, 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.”

Jane Beese, Head of Contemporary Music, Southbank Centre said: "Little Simz' ability to forge new genre-defying ideas and her ambition to inspire the next generation of creators aligns with what the Southbank Centre's artistic programme and vision stands for. We're incredibly excited to witness the lineup she'll curate and for the power of her great art, leadership and culture to bring people together on-site for our 30th year."

Mark Ball, Artistic Director, Southbank Centre added: “Meltdown has become one of the most enduring and anticipated highlights of the annual music calendar, shaped each year by the spirit, imagination and artistry of its curator. Little Simz is becoming such a powerful influence in London and beyond and we're delighted that for eleven days in June the Southbank Centre will become her cultural playground where she can fully explore her musicianship, her icons and her cultural passions.”

Little Simz is recognised as one of the UK's most captivating and visionary artists, coming a long way from handing out mixtapes in the school playground. Ever evolving and forward-facing, Little Simz's wider breakthrough came with her third album, Grey Area (2019), featuring explosive singles “Offence,” “Boss,” and winning her Best British Album at the 2020 NME Awards. A starring role in Netflix's Top Boy followed, ahead of the release of her fourth album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021). Her critically acclaimed and most commercially successful album to date, S.I.M.B.I, catapulted her into the top 5 of the Official Albums Chart, topping the bill at festivals around the world, and winning her multiple accolades including the Mercury Music Prize, two MOBOs, an Ivor Novello and her first BRIT Award.

Little Simz sixth album, NO THANK YOU (2022), was a sleek and utterly propulsive body of work, with a visionary short-film directed by acclaimed Gabriel Moses released alongside the album. Little Simz' 2024 performance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury defined her reputation as an inimitable live performer and one of the most celebrated British artists around. 

In 2024, the legendary Chaka Khan welcomed tens of thousands of people to the festival, transforming the Southbank Centre into a joyous celebration of love, music and community, featuring Emeli Sandé, Lady Blackbird, Bruce Hornsby and Incognito. The longest artist curated festival in the world, previous curators have included Christine and the Queens, Grace Jones, Nile Rodgers, Robert Smith, David Byrne, Yoko Ono, Anohni, Massive Attack, Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith and David Bowie. 

To post a comment, you must register and login.