Playlist: Harry Styles’ Meltdown

Normally we ease you into these line-ups, start with maybe half a dozen artists in our first line-up announcement. Not in 2026, in April we hit you with 18 different acts who’ll be appearing at this summer’s Meltdown, straight off the bat. And in May we added two more.

Curated by Harry Styles, this year’s Meltdown, the 31st edition of the festival, brings together a wide-ranging line-up that spans electronic, jazz, pop and experimental music. And in May, alongside details of Styles’ own headline show, we expanded that range even further by confirming two more gigs.

On Sunday 14 June, New Young Pony Club reunite after a 12-year hiatus to bring their original line-up and a mix of guests to our Purcell Room. And the following Sunday (21 Jun), Harry Styles’ Meltdown gets a significant send-off as titans of electronic music Soulwax bring their high voltage sound to our Royal Festival Hall.

These latest additions join an already fizzing festival that kicks off on Thursday 11 June when Warpaint play our Royal Festival Hall in their only 2026 show. The festival’s first weekend sees the same Royal Festival Hall stage welcome the intimate dreamy pop of Erika de Casier (Sat 13 Jun) and two performances from Kamasi Washington (Sun 14 Jun); Jazz Legends Reimagined, revisiting and reshaping canonical works, and Fearless Movement Live, a sweeping, full-ensemble show rooted in spiritual jazz and cinematic composition.

In Meltdown’s midweek, Harry Styles plays his festival headline performance with the Jules Buckley Orchestra in the Royal Festival Hall (Tue 16 Jun), followed in the venue by Mulatu Astatke’s pioneering Ethio-Jazz sound (Wed 17 Jun) and a deeply personal blend of folk, ambient and electronic music from Beverly Glenn-Copeland (Thu 18 Jun).

The second weekend of the festival opens in the Royal Festival Hall with a special performance blending contemporary composition, classical instrumentation and experimental arrangements, courtesy of the Devonté Hynes Ensemble – featuring Devonté Hynes, Adam Tendler, Cæcilie Trier and Tariq Al-Sabir (Fri 19 Jun), before drummer and composer Yussef Dayes plays the same stage the following night (Sat 20 Jun). 

And that’s just the Royal Festival Hall. In our Queen Elizabeth Hall, things get underway with a night rooted in improvisation and musical exchange from Shabaka Hutchings and special guests (Fri 12 Jun), followed on that opening weekend by a genre-blending set from Foushée (Sat 13 Jun) and Nilufer Yanya’s blend of angular guitar work and intimate vocal moments.

The music continues in the Queen Elizabeth Hall as we move towards Meltdown’s second weekend with the lo-fi textures and indie rock mix of bar italia (Thu 18 Jun), and Orlando Weeks (Fri 19 Jun) in his only solo live show of 2026. And wrapping up or Queen Elizabeth Hall line-up (for now) is Jon Hopkins, who’s joined by Maddie Ashman and Leo Abrahams for a night of special improvised performances on Saturday 20 June.

And still there’s more! Our Purcell Room hosts the intimate songwriting of Stephen Fretwell (Fri 12 Jun) before attempting to contain the raw eclectic energy of Getdown Services (Tue 16 Jun). And we’ve two late-night sets to look forward to in our Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, courtesy of the shimmering synths and club vibes of Ninajirachi (Fri 12 Jun) and the unmistakable blend of electronic punk and dancefloor energy of James Murphy (Sat 20 Jun).

And that’s just the gigs. Harry Styles’ Meltdown also features a number of free and participatory events across its 11 days, including a host of great music performances out on our Riverside Terrace.

But why wait until the summer to soak up the vibes? Get yourself into the mood now by whacking on your headphones and throwing yourself into this fabulous four hour playlist.