After two years of waiting, Grace Jones’ Meltdown is finally coming to London.
The long-running festival series had initially invited Jones to curate the line-up for its 2020 edition, but her plans had to be put on ice not once but twice thanks to the pandemic.
Now, though, the famed Jamaican artist will finally follow in the footsteps of Yoko Ono, David Byrne, Patti Smith, Nile Rodgers and other past curators by overseeing a vibrant, multi-disciplinary programme.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When and where is it?
The festival will run for 10 days from June 10-19, taking place in and around the Southbank Centre — from the 900-capacity Queen Elizabeth Hall to the Riverside Terrace.
Who’s on the line-up?
The line-up is as intriguingly diverse as you’d expect from something put together by Jones — it covers bases from dub reggae to feminist pop, Afrobeat, post-punk, neo-soul and beyond.
Jones herself will appear twice (at least, officially — don’t be surprised if she pops up at any of the other shows), first at the festival’s curtain-raising event, and then on the final day with a headline set.
There are also a number of free events, from an opening party dedicated to music from across the Black diaspora, to a reggae soundclash, and a fashion extravaganza hosted in collaboration with Africa Fashion Week.
Here’s the full line-up:
June 10
Grace Jones - Up Close and Orchestral
The curator kicks things off with a night dedicated to her favourite tracks.
Adrian Sherwood Time Boom x The Upsetter Dub Sessions
UK dub legend Adrian Sherwood pays tribute to Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, who was on the initial Meltdown line-up for 2020 before his untimely passing last year.
Honey Dijon with support from Alewya, Josey Rebelle, Sippin’ T
Internationally acclaimed DJ and producer Honey Dijon hosts the opening club night.
Nightclubbing with No Signal (free event)
The crew behind No Signal radio station deliver party-starting tracks from the Black diaspora.
June 11
Peaches
The pop pioneer celebrates 20 years of her The Teaches of Peaches album.
Cut Hands with support from Heather Leigh
William Bennett, formerly of seminal noise group Whitehouse, brings his solo project to the festival.
Hercules & Love Affair DJ set
Music influenced by Jones will be the central focus of this DJ set from Andy Butler AKA Hercules & Love Affair.
Roll Up to the Bumper (free event)
Paying homage to the famous image of Jones roller-skating on Compo Beach, this event invites Londoners to strap on some wheels and go for a spin.
June 12
Angélique Kidjo: Mother Nature
The Beninese artist explores her wonderful Mother Nature album in the live setting.
Desire Marea
Blending gqom, jazz and more, Desire Marea brings their idiosyncratic sound to the Purcell Room.
Island Life Reggae Soundclash (free event)
Two soundsystems, Jah Youth and Lionpulse, go head-to-head in this reggae showdown.
June 13
Dry Cleaning
The south Londoners do their post-punk, spoken-word thing.
Kevin Richard and Hatis Noit
An intriguing match-up between Japanese voice artist Hatis Noit and Kevin Richard Martin AKA The Bug, which is sure to yield some head-spinning results.
June 14
Hot Congotronics (Hot Chip and the Kasai Allstars)
Dancefloor veterans Hot Chip team up with Congolese supergroup Kasai Allstars for something that’ll surely get people moving.
Dave Okumu: Pull Up To The Bumper
The Invisible’s Dave Okumu presents re-moulded versions of two “iconic and unexpected records”.
Two Another
The international duo will deliver their genre-blending sounds here.
June 15
Oumou Sangaré
A master of modern Malian music showcases her dazzling artistry.
Big Joanie
London punks Big Joanie come through with one of their searing live sets.
The Love Unlimited Synth Orchestra
The late, great Barry White is the focus of attention at this show, with conductor Charles Hazlewood, Paraorchestra, Rachel Chinouriri, Betty Boo and Eno Williams among those paying tribute.
June 16
Greentea Peng with support from Lord Apex
Jazz, reggae, neo-soul and more were fused together on Greentea Peng’s debut album — hear it here.
Meshell Ndegeocello
Twelve albums deep and sounding great as ever, the inimitable genre-explorer Meshell Ndegeocello takes over Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Skinny Pelembe
Brought to attention through Gilles Peterson’s Future Bubblers talent development scheme, the Doncaster-raised artist has forged a distinct path with his music, combining psychedelic soul, folk, UK dance and more.
Sky Ferreira
It’s been nine years since Sky Ferreira’s acclaimed debut album arrived — and now, after years of delays, we look set to receive the follow-up sometime in 2022. She may well give a sneak preview at Meltdown.
June 17
Skunk Anansie with support from Nova Twins
Rock trailblazers Skunk Anansie come to Meltdown with support from Nova Twins — a band whose own mould-breaking bangers make them something of a spiritual successor to the headline act.
John Grant with support from Blancmange
Memories of the past coloured John Grant’s latest album, Boy From Michigan, and he’ll take us along on that journey at this gig. Get down early to catch a set from synth-pop veterans Blancmange.
Shingai
Noisettes frontwoman Shingai is flying solo these days, moving away from those indie rock stylings and further exploring her own cultural heritage, with sounds from the UK, Zimbabwe and beyond.
Slay to the Rhythm with ShezAr and The Soul Sirens (free event)
Classic tracks from Jones’ oeuvre will be given a gospel reworking here — and attendees are invited to join in with the sing-along.
June 18
Baaba Maal
Contemporary electronics and West African guitar music combine to thrilling effect with Baaba Maal’s output.
Lee Fields with support from Joel Culpepper
The 72-year-old soul legend Lee Fields headlines this night — with a through-line drawn from Fields’ influence to the modern sounds of the support act, south Londoner Joel Culpepper.
cktrl x London Contemporary Orchestra
A fascinating match-up between producer and composer cktrl, and the London Contemporary Orchestra — expect to hear all different types of textures and influences mingling at this one-off gig.
A Night of a Thousand Graces with Africa Fashion Week London (free event)
Some of Jones’ most famous sartorial creations will be celebrated on the catwalk.
June 19
Grace Jones with support from Eska
The curator returns to close the festival with a headline set.
Ben Hayes and Hector Plimmer
Things will get techy here, with AI-generated music and audio-reactive visuals combining for something unique.
Do or Die… or Disco with Marawa’s Majorettes (free event)
Performance troupe Marawa’s Majorettes lead a mass hula-hooping session for all.
How to get tickets
Each event is ticketed separately, and prices vary. Head to southbankcentre.co.uk for more information.
