First names revealed for M.I.A's Meltdown Festival

28 March 2017 - Press release

Today Southbank Centre reveals the first names for rapper, producer, director and visual artist M.I.A.’s Meltdown, a festival famed for bringing to life the world of its director. This year M.I.A. showcases emerging and established artists from across the world to create a melting pot for global culture at Southbank Centre from Friday 9 – Sunday 18 June 2017.

The line-up includes Scotland-based hip-hop trio Young Fathers; a double-bill with Jamaica reggae stars I Wayne and Dexta Daps; French rapper MHD performing alongside Nigerian soulster Mr Eazi; electronic hip-hop artist Yung Lean from Sweden; Canadian electro thrash-pop duo Crystal Castles; the UK premiere of Brooklyn-based rapper Young M.A and many more.

M.I.A.’s international line-up includes:

Mercury Prize-winning trio Young Fathers – whose members hail from Liberia, Nigeria and Scotland – open the festival with a unique show created specially for Meltdown featuring a choir, followed by a late night after-party on the Clore Ballroom (9 June)
 
Known for their high-energy live shows, Canadian electro thrash-pop duo Crystal Castles perform in the Royal Festival Hall (16 June)
 
In a UK premiere, viral sensation Young M.A brings her uncompromising flow and hip-hop style to the Royal Festival Hall alongside Canadian rapper and visual artist Tommy Genesis, whose music blurs the lines between electronica and hip-hop (17 June)
 
A double-bill featuring the UK premiere of one of Jamaica’s foremost reggae artists I Wayne alongside dancehall star and M.I.A. collaborator Dexta Daps (15 June)
 
Afro-trap pioneer MHD, straight from the streets of Paris, collecting hundreds of millions of YouTube views on the way, performing alongside Nigerian afrobeat fusion star Mr Eazi (11 June)
 
US Performance artist turned riot grrl rapper and queer pioneer Mykki Blanco takes to the Clore Ballroom stage, followed by a DJ set from legendary Le Tigre musician, DJ and activist JD Samson (17 June)
 
London-based rapper Afrikan Boy’s unique fusion of rap, afrobeat and grime bringing together the bass-heavy sounds of urban London with the rhythmic beats of Nigeria for a late night show (10 June)
 
A night of atmospheric hip-hop from Swedish rapper Yung Lean in his only European show this Summer (14 June)
 
Festival curator M.I.A. closes the festival in a unique finale packed with surprises in her Royal Festival Hall debut (18 June)
 
Throughout M.I.A.’s Meltdown a range of free activity including music, multimedia, art and film events take over the site to contribute to the festive atmosphere. The festival celebrates London's diverse melting pot of cultures, in a programme that works closely with local communities including a mass carnival across the site and a free all-day block party on Riverside Terrace. Leading into Refugee Week on 18 June, Meltdown will also present an entire day of free activity working with refugee artists and charities, with musicians popping-up across the site in a day produced in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts.

Nominated for two Grammys, a Mercury Prize and an Academy Award, as well as recently being named Best Female at this year’s NME Awards, M.I.A.’s accolade-studded musical career spans thirteen years and five albums. She has continuously defied stylistic genres with diverse influences ranging from nu-rave, dancehall, electro and hip-hop. Her Meltdown stays true to this eclectic approach, creating a melting pot of global culture across Southbank Centre’s site.
 

M.I.A., said: "I hope you rate my curating. I'm happy and honoured to be a part of Meltdown amongst important artists who have contributed to keeping it real in the past. I’m bringing together new outlaw musicians from everywhere, who have all contributed to keeping things weird, exciting, opinionated, loud, emotional, brave or off the grid in the present climate. It's a layered ten days of creative ideas, curated out of wanting to know these artists as well as knowing their art well. Hopefully my contribution fills these summer days with vibez, wild ruckus, controlled chaos and good times, with a touch of education - working together to break boundaries with clashing identities, beliefs, styles and sexualities. Welcome to London, Summer 2017.”
 

Tickets will be on sale to members on 4 April at 10am and to general public on 6 April at 10am.

For more information visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk/meltdown
#meltdownfest
@meltdownfest
@southbankcentre


FULL LIST OF ANNOUNCED ACTS BELOW – MORE TO FOLLOW IN COMING MONTHS

YOUNG FATHERS - Friday 9 June, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall

AFRIKAN BOY - Saturday 10 June, 10:30pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall

MHD / MR EAZI - Sunday 11 June, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall

YUNG LEAN - Wednesday 14 June, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall

I WAYNE / DEXTA DAPS - Thursday 15 June, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall  
 
CRYSTAL CASTLES - Friday 16 June, 8:00pm, Royal Festival Hall

YOUNG M.A / TOMMY GENESIS - Saturday 17 June, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall

JD SAMSON / MYKKI BLANCO - Saturday 17 June, 10:30pm, Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall

M.I.A. - Sunday 18 June, 7:30pm, Royal Festival Hall