Little Simz’ Meltdown has now been scheduled.
But don’t worry – Chaka Khan had one before her, and Christine & The Queens – had one the year before that.
We’re talking, of course, about the Southbank Centre‘s annual Meltdown Festival, curated each summer by a different musician or cultural figure. And this year, it’s the turn of London’s very own, critically acclaimed Little Simz who’s multi-hyphenate career lends itself well to putting together a richly varied line-up to celebrate the 30th year of the festival.
It’s all unfolding between 12th and 22nd June at the midcentury riverside venue on the South Bank. It’ll also be hot on the heels of Little Simz’ sixth album, Lotus coming out in May. With so much to celebrate, the BRIT-award winner is pulling in some muscle to mark the occasion. She’ll also closing the festival alongside the Chineke! Orchestra for a one-of-a-kind concert on the closing night of the festival.
Included in the programme? She’s inviting in her own hand-picked line-up of artists to perform, including iconic band The Streets, razor-sharp rap artist Ghetts, one-to-watch singer-songwriter Lola Young, and the vocalist and percussionist of the band Little Dragons, Yukimi. Also announced on the bill is the British-Colombian singer-songwriter Sasha Keable whose sound could be packaged as jazz-laced R&B and the legendary singer, songwriter and composer Jon Batiste.
And finally, as always, the two weekend slots will be devoted to free events, featuring grassroots collectives and local organisations, and one-of-a-kind performances that have come to encapsulate Meltdown and the Southbank Centre’s open-to-all attitude to the arts.
NOTE: Little Simz’ Meltdown runs at the Southbank Centre from 12th-22nd June 2025. You can see the full line-up, and book tickets, HERE.
Little Simz’ Meltdown | Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
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