Guy Garvey takes charge of Meltdown 2016

Meltdown 2016

Friday 10th to Sunday 19th June 2016
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Greater London, SE1 8XX, England MAP
varies dependant on event

Last updated: Thu 26th May 2016

The Southbank Centre's 23rd Meltdown will be artistically directed by Guy Garvey, DJ, presenter, solo act and lead singer of Elbow.

Meltdown 2016, the 12-day event in June this year, will see Garvey create a line-up over the duration of the festival of not just music, but also debate and installations.

2016 marks a return for Guy to Meltdown, following Massive Attack’s invitation for his band play their Meltdown festival in 2008. The show was particularly memorable as hundreds of amateur singers formed a choir and joined the band on stage in the Royal Festival Hall.

Alongside some very well known artists, introducing lesser-known acts will be a theme for Garvey's Meltdown as he continues to champion new and undiscovered artists extending his work on BBC 6 Music’s Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour and more recently with his TV show Music Box with Guy Garvey.

In a statement, Guy Garvey, said, "I see this as the perfect opportunity to shine a light on some amazing new talent whilst recognising and celebrating the artists that have had an influence on the new sounds of today. Beyond that I want my Meltdown to be a party where everyone feels invited and everyone leaves having had the best night out."

Tickets won't be on sale for a few more months.

He follows in the footsteps of past Meltdown directors David Byrne, James Lavelle, Yoko Ono, Antony Hegarty, Ray Ravies, Richard Thompson, Ornette Coleman, Massive Attack, John Peel, Robert Wyatt, Scott Walker, David Bowie, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Morrissey, Patti Smith and Jarvis Cocker, curating a festival that will take place across the Southbank Centre site.

Jude Kelly, Artistic Director at Southbank Centre, said, "Guy Garvey's outright enthusiasm for sharing music and introducing new art and artists to the widest possible audience fits hand-and-glove with what Southbank Centres strives for across its festival programme. Guy is an exciting choice – his contagious energy and creative spark has inspired an avid following, not to mention critical acclaim – and is the perfect figure to continue the Meltdown legacy."

Gillian Moore, Director of Music at Southbank Centre, added, "It is our absolute pleasure to have Guy taking the reins of Meltdown this year. He has a formidable reputation as a musician, an unyielding passion for introducing audiences to his own vast musical tastes, and is generous in inviting people to take part in music making – we still fondly remember the choir joining elbow’s show in 2008’s Meltdown. All of these things make Guy the perfect Meltdown Director."

Meltdown takes place over all 21 acres of the Southbank Centre, including the riverside, Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. The dates for Meltdown 2016 are confirmed as Friday 10th until Sunday 19th June 2016.

discuss this news on the Festival Forums