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London is absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to summer music festivals. Just when we think there couldn’t possibly be any more headliners to add to the already jam-packed line-ups of the city’s numerous major festies, another press release lands in our inbox, announcing the latest wave of musical talents to be gracing stages across the city in the next few months.
Hot off the heels of this morning’s SXSW London music line-up comes another announcement, of yet more acts joining Little Simz’s Meltdown at the Southbank Centre in June. And there are some major names in the mix.
The biggest name of the bunch is prolific Grammy- and Mercury-winning electronic artist and producer James Blake, who arrives at Royal Festival Hall with a solo piano show (Friday June 20). Also appearing at the Southbank Centre’s largest space are R&B singer-songwriter Mahalia (Friday June 13), Afrobeats legend Tiwa Savage (Saturday June 14) and Canadian instrumentalists BADBADNOTGOOD (Monday June 16).
The Queen Elizabeth Hall, meanwhile, will play host to genre-defying London-based saxophonist Nubya Garcia (Thursday June 19) and neo-soul singer MEGA supported by rising star Jon Poppii (Friday June 20). Illinois-based singer-songwriter Kara Jackson will perform an intimate show in the Purcell Room (Tuesday June 17).
These join an already stacked line-up that includes gigs from The Streets, Ghetts, Sasha Keable, Lola Young and, of course, Little Simz herself, in a unique performance alongside the Southbank Centre’s resident Chineke! Orchestra. And the festival will also include a variety of free performances and after-hours events, to be announced at a later date.
The full line-up for Little Simz’s Meltdown so far
The Streets
Thursday 12 June at Royal Festival Hall
Mahalia
Friday 13 June at Royal Festival Hall
Tiwa Savage
Saturday 14 June at Royal Festival Hall
Sasha Keable
Saturday 14 June at Queen Elizabeth Hall
BADBADNOTGOOD
Monday 16 June at Royal Festival Hall
Lola Young
Tuesday 17 June at Royal Festival Hall
Kara Jackson
Tuesday 17 June at the Purcell Room
Ghetts
Wednesday 18 June at Royal Festival Hall
Yukimi + BINA
Wednesday 18 June at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Nubya Garcia
Thursday 19 June at Queen Elizabeth Hall
MEGA & Jon Poppii
Friday 20 June at Queen Elizabeth Hall
James Blake
Friday 20 June at Royal Festival Hall
Jon Batiste
Saturday 21 June at Royal Festival Hall
Little Simz & Chineke! Orchestra
Sunday 22 June at Royal Festival Hall
When do tickets go on sale?
Tickets for previously announced shows are on sale now. Tickets for the new additions to the line-up go on sale to members on Wednesday April 9 at 10am, and to the general public on Friday April 11 at 10am. We expect many of the gigs will sell out fast, so be quick if you want to grab a ticket!
The 2025 edition of the UK’s longest-running artist-curated festival is shaping up to be a Meltdown for the ages. See you there!
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