Harry Styles to curate 2026 Meltdown festival in the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary year

The Southbank Centre today announces Harry Styles as curator of its 2026 Meltdown festival.

Harry joins a long line of prestigious past curators including David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Nile Rodgers and many more. This year marks a landmark edition of the world’s longest-running artist-curated music festival, presented as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year. The Southbank Centre, a place that brings different art forms together and is open to all, will see Styles take its artistic reins for 11 days and curate its annual multi-arts festival, spanning the 11-acre site (11 – 21 June 2026).

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. 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. I’m incredibly grateful to Southbank for having me, it’s really exciting for me to have this opportunity in such an iconic venue.

Harry Styles

Harry Styles’ curatorship of Meltdown will draw on his broad influences – from pop, soul, electronic and rock to underground scenes and emerging young British talent. Alongside a headline concert from Harry Styles himself, the festival will offer a public programme of interactive, participatory and free events, designed to engage young people across the UK and reflect ways younger audiences increasingly experience culture.

Find out more about Harry Styles’ Meltdown here