British pop star joins a long line of prestigious past curators including David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello
Harry Styles will curate the 2026 Meltdown festival at London's Southbank Centre, organisers have announced.
The 32-year-old 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.”
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.
