Pop
Former One Direction star to curate Meltdown Festival 2026
Harry Styles has been named as the curator of this year's Meltdown Festival at London's Southbank Centre.
Harry Styles has been announced as the curator of the 2026 Meltdown Festival, taking the reins for the Southbank Centre’s landmark 75th anniversary edition. The event runs from June 11 to 21, with the full bill set to be confirmed this spring.
The pop superstar 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.”
Styles, who first found fame with One Direction before becoming one of the UK’s biggest solo artists, added: “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.”
Southbank Centre artistic director Mark Ball said the team is “thrilled” to welcome one of the most “iconic British” artists to lead the festival in such a milestone year.
Jane Beese, Head of Contemporary Music, added: “His openness, warmth and instinct for collaboration feel perfectly aligned with the spirit at the heart of the festival. We’re excited to see his vision play out across the whole site, creating space for connection, discovery and joy.”
Styles joins an illustrious list of previous Meltdown curators, including David Bowie, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Robert Smith, David Byrne, Yoko Ono and Massive Attack.
The announcement comes as the Aperture singer gears up for a major year, with new album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally arriving on March 6, and his huge Together, Together stadium tour kicking off in May. The run includes residencies at London’s Wembley Stadium and New York’s Madison Square Garden, stretching through to December 2026.
