Harry Styles has said he is “deeply honoured” as it was revealed the singer will curate the 2026 Meltdown festival at London’s Southbank Centre.
The former One Direction singer, 32, follows the likes of David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Chaka Khan, Grace Jones and Patti Smith in arranging the festival’s line-up.
Organisers said this year’s event will form part of a “landmark” celebration, presented as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year.
Speaking about the festival, the Aperture singer said: “I’m deeply honoured to curate the Meltdown festival, especially for the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year.
“My goal as the curator is to share the music and art that I love, and to celebrate the rich history of the venue.”
The festival will run from Thursday June 11 until Sunday June 21.
“We both share a passionate belief that music is a vital part of life. It brings us together and the Southbank Centre has been at the heart of it, providing easy access to great music for the past 75 years,” Styles said.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Southbank for having me, it’s really exciting for me to have this opportunity in such an iconic venue.”
The announcement comes ahead of the release of Harry Styles’ highly anticipated fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, set to drop in March.
The Grammy-winning artist also recently announced his next global tour, with dates in London, Amsterdam, New York, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Melbourne, and Sydney starting in May.
Styles launched his solo career after he and fellow One Direction members Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson went on hiatus in 2016, almost a year after Zayn Malik left the group.
The Worcestershire-born star released his self-titled debut solo album in 2017, followed by Fine Line in 2019, and Harry’s House (2022) – with the first and third releases reaching number one in the UK charts.
Meltdown has become known for unique performances, with The Smiths’ lead singer Morrissey getting a reunited New York Dolls to perform at his 2004 event, Ray Davies restaging 1960s TV pop show Ready Steady Go! in 2011, and Jeff Buckley playing his final UK show at Elvis Costello’s Meltdown in 1995.
Mark Ball, artistic director of the Southbank Centre, called Styles an “iconic British artist with a global influence whose impact extends across artistic disciplines, generations and borders”.
“Throughout our 75-year history, the Southbank Centre has existed to give our greatest artists a platform to take creative risks and present work that pushes contemporary culture into new and unexpected directions,” he said.
“Harry Styles’ Meltdown feels like a natural expression of what the Southbank Centre exists to do, and we are delighted to become his creative playground in our anniversary year.”
A full lineup and ticket release dates will be announced in the spring.
