Last month, Little Simz was announced as the curator of this year’s Meltdown, heading up proceedings for the Southbank Centre’s 30th edition. Taking place across eleven days, the first wave of artists joining Simz on stage at Royal Festival Hall has just been announced.

The Streets will kick off proceedings on the opening day, setting the tone for a selection of notable artists to follow, including London-born rapper Ghetts, BRIT nominee Lola Young and Grammy award-winning Jon Batiste. Meanwhile, British-Colombian singer-songwriter Sasha Keable and co-founder of Swedish group Little Dragon, Yukimi, will take to the Queen Elizabeth Hall stage. 

Alongside the list of well-known names, Simz is using the festival as a platform to spotlight up-and-coming talent by hosting a young producer project. In the lead-up to Meltdown, a selection of producers from the city’s youth clubs will transform the festival’s public spaces into a series of events and showcases that will run across the eleven days.

Speaking on this year’s festival, Simz said; “My team and I are preparing eleven days of art, music, workshops and more. So many incredible artists have curated this festival so it’s a true honour to be a part of it. Thank you to the Southbank Centre for having me. Meltdown 2025 the Simz way is going to be epic. I’ll see you there.”