The Southbank Centre has announced the first wave of artists for the 30th edition of its flagship Meltdown Festival, curated by Little Simz. Announced today are: Mike Skinner’s The Streets, Lola Young, Ghetts, Jon Batiste, Sasha Keable and Yukimi, offering a wide-reaching range of genres spanning R&B, pop, rap, and jazz.

Running from June 12-22, the festival will also include a programme of art and music workshops, and a selection of free events open to the public. Event curator Little Simz will also be performing on the festival’s closing night alongside the Southbank Centre’s resident orchestra Chineke! Orchestra, featuring tracks from her upcoming sixth studio album Lotus.

“My team and I are preparing 11 days of art, music, workshops and more,” said Little Simz of her role in curating the festival. “Meltdown 2025 the Simz way is going to be epic. I'll see you there.” Previous curators include the late Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Grace Jones, Massive Attack, Patti Smith, Chaka Khan, and more.

Tickets go on sale for Southbank members Wednesday, March 26, and to the general public Friday, March 28, available via the Southbank website. More artists are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.