FKA Twigs has been confirmed as the curator for Meltdown 2027.
The 38-year-old multi-hyphenate will take over the Southbank Centre for an 11-day programme of performances between June 10 and 20, with the intention of spotlighting London as “one of the world’s great capitals of music and the arts.”
Announcing her role, auteur Twigs said: “I am honoured and excited to be curating Meltdown at the Southbank Centre.
“The potent artistic and cultural landscape in London has raised me from Croydon College, to performing in underground cabaret clubs, dancing till sunrise in warehouses on the docks and last year being lucky enough to sing my operatic songs in one of the largest arenas in London.”
She continued: “The cultural and artistic clash in this city is like no other. Where cultures, sounds, stories and traditions from all over the world meet, collide and transform one another. I intend to bring you a slice of all that has raised me and continues to inspire me: celebrating the diversity, freedom and creative energy that I believe makes London one of the world’s great capitals of music and the arts.”
Early highlights for Meltdown 2027 include performances from pianist Lang Lang, rock icon Patti Smith and composer Philip Glass.
Alongside the London festival, the Southbank Centre has announced the inaugural Hometown Meltdown – a new nationwide spin-off designed to champion grassroots music venues. Running from December 2026 to March 2027, the project will take place across six cities, with each two-day event curated by artists from the local area.
Kelly Lee Owens will lead the December dates at Neuadd Ogwen in Bethesda, followed by Stewart Lee at The Cornish Bank in Falmouth (January 30–31). February will see Kathryn Joseph curate Beat Generator in Dundee (13–14) and Jamie Cullum host at Chinnerys in Southend (23–24). Pauline Black takes over Peggy’s Skylight in Nottingham on March 2–3, before Rhoda Dakar closes the run at FORGE Warehouse in Sheffield on March 25–26.
Beverley Whitrick, COO of Music Venue Trust, said: “Grassroots Music Venues are often overlooked in conversations about the cultural infrastructure for the UK, even though they provide access to incredible live music in well over 800 locations across the four nations.
“Not only is Hometown Meltdown an exciting project in terms of the curators, artists, venues and audiences it will bring together, but the Southbank Centre’s recognition and championing of these venues is a powerful statement about the music ecosystem.”
More additions to the lineups will be announced in due course.
Meltdown has previously been curated by Harry Styles, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Grace Jones and Robert Smith.
