Harry Styles' Meltdown - First acts announced plus how to get tickets

The first wave of artists hand‑picked by Harry Styles for this year’s Meltdown Festival has finally dropped and it’s a big one! Styles is curating the 31st edition of Meltdown, the world’s longest-running artist‑curated music festival, taking over London’s Southbank Centre from 11–21 June 2026.  And now we know who he’s bringing along for the ride. 

Who’s playing Harry Styles’ Meltdown? 

A huge set of artists has been confirmed across electronic, jazz, indie pop and boundary‑pushing experimental sounds. The line-up is packed with global names, rising talent and long-time icons and every act has been personally chosen by Styles. 

Here are the artists announced so far, with dates confirmed across multiple venues at the Southbank Centre: 

Thursday 11 June 

• Warpaint (Royal Festival Hall) 

Friday 12 June 

• Stephen Fretwell (Purcell Room) 

• Shabaka & Friends (Queen Elizabeth Hall) 

• Ninajirachi (Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer) 

Saturday 13 June 

• Erika de Casier (Royal Festival Hall) 

• Fousheé (Queen Elizabeth Hall) 

Sunday 14 June 

• Kamasi Washington: Jazz Legends Reimagined (Royal Festival Hall) 

• Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement Live (Royal Festival Hall) 

• Nilüfer Yanya (Queen Elizabeth Hall) 

Tuesday 16 June 

• Getdown Services (Purcell Room) 

Wednesday 17 June 

• Mulatu Astatke (Royal Festival Hall) 

Thursday 18 June 

• Beverly Glenn‑Copeland (Royal Festival Hall) 

• bar italia (Queen Elizabeth Hall) 

Friday 19 June 

• Devonté Hynes Ensemble (Royal Festival Hall) 

• Orlando Weeks (Queen Elizabeth Hall) 

Saturday 20 June 

• Yussef Dayes (Royal Festival Hall) 

• Jon Hopkins with Maddie Ashman & Leo Abrahams (Queen Elizabeth Hall) 

• James Murphy (Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer) 

Styles’ own headline show at the Royal Festival Hall is also confirmed, with exact details still to come, though several sources suggest it’ll take place on the 16th of June in between his Wembley Stadium shows this year.  

When do tickets go on sale? 

Tickets for Harry Styles’ Meltdown go on sale later this week:  

• The Southbank Centre Members presale will happen this Thursday, 9th April 2026  

• The general sale will happen this Friday, 10th April 2026 

How much does membership cost? 

If you want access to the pre-sale, you’ll need to be a Southbank member.  

Membership starts at £60 per year, which includes presale access to events like Meltdown. This is the cheapest price, but it's on a yearly direct debit. If you want to make a one-off payment, the price for this tier is £80. At this tier, you get access to presales, no booking fees, free entry to the Hayward Gallery, and discounts in shops, cafes and bars.

You don't get access to the Members' Lounge, though (you'd need to opt for Membership Plus starting at £90 per year to get that). Member benefits for Styles’ headline gig will be revealed soon.  

Is it worth becoming a member at the Southbank Centre for Meltdown?

Becoming a Southbank member gets you access to the pre-sale but also saves you booking fees. You need to book separate tickets for each Meltdown gig you want to see. Each gig you book at Southbank comes with an extra booking fee which, looking at the website, is around £4. So, in effect, you'd be getting access to the sale plus saving around £4 per gig if you opt for the membership. At £60 per year, you'd need to book 15 gigs to "make up" the booking fees.

Ultimately, it depends on how much you value the pre sale and how many gigs you're planning on booking at Meltdown (and beyond, as there are lots of other events happening at the Southbank Centre this year).

How to book tickets for the Meltdown Festival  

You can book tickets for gigs at the Meltdown Festival via the Southbank website when they go on sale. Members get access to an exclusive pre-sale the day before the general sale.  

Unlike other festivals, there isn’t a festival-wide ticket you book to access all gigs. Instead, you’ll need to book individual tickets for the gigs you’re interested in. Prices vary from around £27 to £47 per gig depending on the artist.  

What is the Meltdown Festival? 

Meltdown is an annual festival where one iconic artist curates the entire line‑up and it’s been running since 1993. Past curators include the likes of David Bowie and Yoko Ono. It takes place across the Southbank Centre’s huge riverside site, including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room.