The Southbank centre by arrangement with Mythology Agency presents Cut Hands with support from Heather Leigh
William Bennett, formerly of the seminal noise group Whitehouse, brings his solo project to the festival.
New acts for Meltdown 2022
In the Royal Festival Hall, ‘Africa’s premier diva’ Angélique Kidjo will present her new work,
Mother Nature, on Sunday 12 June. The acclaimed musician and revered activist has
garnered global acclaim for her unique blend of West African traditional music and the soul
and R&B sounds of her childhood idols, such as James Brown, Nina Simone and Jimi
Hendrix. With Mother Nature at Meltdown, Kidjo will bring her cross-cultural creativity to the
heart of London for an unmissable, kaleidoscopic night of infectious rhythms, beats and a
pure party atmosphere.
Also in the Royal Festival Hall, on Tuesday 14 June, there will be a special one-off concert
and a unique collaboration between members of Hot Chip and the Congolese collective
Kasai Allstars. ‘Hot Congotronics’ will also feature some of the African guests who Grace
Jones has recently been collaborating with on sessions for her next album.
From the vibrancy of Kidjo to the candid king of alternative folk, John Grant will illuminate
the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday 17 June 2022 with his tender lyricism and eclectic
soundscapes in a beautifully intimate setting. Meanwhile, in partnership with Brilliant
Corners, Dave Okumu, formerly of the Mercury Prize nominated band The Invisible, will be
joined by luminaries and friends to perform reinterpretations of two iconic and unexpected
albums in ways you’ve never heard them before. Full details about the Tuesday 14 June
show, including musicians and music, will be released soon.
During the festival, the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer will be open until the early hours, buzzing
with late night performances and DJ sets. Kicking off Meltdown’s parties with a grooveful
blend of house, disco and funk, Honey Dijon will host proceedings on Friday 10 June
alongside London’s own Sippin’ T, while Hercules and Love Affair will step up to the decks
the following night, Saturday 11 June. In a rare appearance in the capital, the elusive and
enigmatic Sky Ferreira will invite fans to experience her darkly delightful synth-pop close-up
as part of Grace Jones’ Meltdown on Thursday 16 June.
The Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room has a storied history of celebrating boundary-pushing
talent, and Meltdown will be no exception. Breakthrough star Desire Marea, whose 2021
solo debut Desire turned heads with its haunting melodies, emotional depths and club-ready
edge, will make his first Southbank Centre appearance on Sunday 12 June 2022. In a very
special collaboration, producer extraordinaire Kevin Richard Martin, AKA The Bug, will
perform with Japanese vocalist Hatis Noit on Monday 13 June. The pair first met in 2018 for
what would become a landmark performance for BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction and their
show at Meltdown will no doubt capture their hypnotic, spectral magic. With a heavy dose of
righteous vigour, Big Joanie will bring all the excitement and energy of London’s DIY punk
scene to bear on the Purcell Room on Wednesday 15 June while the legendary front woman
and bassist from the platinum selling band Noisettes, Shingai, will perform Friday 17 June.
Other highlights in the Purcell Room include electronic experimenter Cut Hands, who will
test the boundaries of the genre on Saturday 11 June.