futuretense: Choose Your Beat
Come and relive your glory days or find the beat with a new wave of house, drum and bass, dubstep and jungle music from up-and-coming artists.
The Riverside Terrace turns into an outdoor sun-filled (hopefully) club to amplify the resurgence of these genres that the UK is experiencing – mirroring the boom of the genres in Manchester and Sheffield in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Love Itoya is a London-based Greek-Nigerian pop fusion artist. Known for her powerful voice, electrifying dance moves, and magnetic stage presence, she blends Afro, soul, pop and contemporary sounds into a bold and dynamic musical identity.
Her thought-provoking lyrics explore themes of empowerment, love, personal growth, resilience, and proudly representing Black girls worldwide. In 2024, she won the BEFFTA Award for Best UK African Artist.
Vocal power house REIGNS pulls in influences from the many classics that she was spoon fed as a child by her music-loving father. Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone have lived in her ears since was born and have all been integral in her understanding and love of music.
Her sound is statuesque and heart-wrenching, merging classic soul and blues with a jagged pop edge. REIGNS delves deep into her feelings, exposing her every emotion and taking you on a journey of heartbreak, honesty and hope.
The third act on tonight’s line-up are drum and bass/hip-hop duo Verbz and Zar.
Hailing from ‘The Cronx’, Verbz first made an impression on the UK hip-hop scene in 2017 with his debut album, Mr Slipz, Lessons Of Adolescence. Since then, the 28-year-old has released a wide range of singles, collaborations and projects across the hip-hop and drum and bass genres, with the latest being Sight Beyond Sight.
Manchester’s Pierluigi Zardetto, better known as Zar, has been making waves in the drum and bass scene with his deep, soulful take on the genre. With Italian roots and a keen ear for melody, Zar’s music blends jazz, soul and hip-hop sampling techniques to create emotive, forward-thinking liquid drum and bass.
Captivated by the sounds of garage, hardcore and jungle via pirate radio stations in London and rave tape packs, Decibella found her home on the dance floors of One Nation, Telepathy and Raindance where she began her underground musical education, leading later to the dubstep-oriented institutions FWD and DMZ. Her DJ sets capture the authentic sounds of jungle and rave, across their broad spectrum of forms.
Twice every month, these free gigs share the sounds of the future, providing a platform for up and coming British and international musicians. This event is part of the Southbank Centre’s ongoing commitment to developing and supporting emerging artists who we believe are the future of music.
Need to know
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For your visit
This event is held at the Riverside Terrace Southbank Centre
The Riverside Terrace is open all day, every day*.
*If you’re attending an event on our Riverside Terrace, check the event listing for start and finish times.
Plan your visit
The Riverside Terrace is an outdoor space overlooking the River Thames, on Royal Festival Hall, Level 2.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
Through the glass from Riverside Terrace on Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.