‘Meltdown 2025, the Simz way’: Little Simz to curate line-up for Southbank Centre festival
Pioneering rapper Little Simz will curate this year’s Meltdown Festival, the Southbank Centre has announced.
The British artist is the youngest to take on the role of curator, following stars such as David Bowie, Chaka Khan and Patti Smith.
In the festival’s 30th edition, Little Simz will oversee a lineup of art, music and workshops for the 11-day event in June, as well as performing herself.
She said: “I’m super excited to be the 2025 Meltdown festival curator!
“My team and I are preparing eleven days of art, music, workshops and more. So many incredible artists have curated this festival so it’s a true honour to be a part of it.
“Thank you to the Southbank Centre for having me. Meltdown 2025 the Simz way is going to be epic. I’ll see you there.”
The thirty-year-old, whose real name is Simbiatu Ajikawo, has become one of the most acclaimed rappers in the UK.
Her breakthrough came with her third album, Grey Area, 2019, which featured singles “Offence,” “Boss,” and won her Best British Album at the 2020 NME Awards.
Her critically acclaimed and most commercially successful album to date, S.I.M.B.I, catapulted her into the top five of the Official Albums Chart, topping the bill at festivals around the world, and winning her the Mercury Music Prize, two MOBOs, an Ivor Novello and her first BRIT Award.
Jane Beese, head of contemporary music at the Southbank Centre, said: “Little Simz’ ability to forge new genre-defying ideas and her ambition to inspire the next generation of creators aligns with what the Southbank Centre’s artistic programme and vision stands for.
“We’re incredibly excited to witness the lineup she’ll curate and for the power of her great art, leadership and culture to bring people together on-site for our 30th year.”
Little Simz’ Meltdown will take place from June 12 to 22, transforming the Southbank Centre into a spectacular festival.
Whilst names for the line-up are not set to be announced until the Spring, the arts centre has promised “one-of-a-kind performances that have come to characterise Meltdown”.
Little Simz will take over from last year’s curator, Chaka Khan, who brought the likes of Incognito, Lady Blackbird and Les Amazones D’Afrique to Meltdown in 2024, which was attended by tens of thousands.
The Southbank Centres Meltdown Festival is the longest artist curated series in the world.
Previous nominations have included Christine and the Queens, Grace Jones, Nile Rodgers, David Byrne, Yoko Ono, Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith and David Bowie.
Mark Ball, artistic director at the Southbank Centre said: “Meltdown has become one of the most enduring and anticipated highlights of the annual music calendar, shaped each year by the spirit, imagination and artistry of its curator.
“Little Simz is becoming such a powerful influence in London and beyond and we’re delighted that for eleven days in June the Southbank Centre will become her cultural playground where she can fully explore her musicianship, her icons and her cultural passions.”
Pictured top: Little Simz will curate the Southbank Centres’ Meltdown Festival 2025 (Picture: Thibaut Grevet)
