Every year we invite a different cultural figure to curate Meltdown festival. Their brief is largely the same – ten days of concerts and performances – but the outcome never is, as each artist selects their own performers, putting their own distinct stamp on their Meltdown.
Since the composer and pianist George Benjamin took the helm for the festival’s first edition, 27 other artists have followed suit. Among them are musical heavyweights like David Bowie, Nile Rodgers and Patti Smith; cultural icons including Grace Jones, Yoko Ono, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, and John Peel; and artists who have embodied the music of their time such as M.I.A. and Christine and the Queens.
Over its three decades, Meltdown has established a reputation for hosting remarkable one-off performances and collaborations. Patti Smith’s Meltdown saw her perform Horses in full; Ray Davies re-staged the TV pop show ‘Ready Steady Go!’. Jeff Buckley played his final UK show at Elvis Costello's Meltdown; The New York Dolls reunited for Morrissey; Lift To Experience did likewise for Guy Garvey; Nick Cave, Grace Jones and Pete Doherty sang Disney songs with Jarvis Cocker; and David Byrne brought to life William Onyeabor’s Atomic Bomb.
The continued strength of Meltdown festival saw the 2018 edition, curated by Robert Smith, win the AIM Independent Music Awards ‘Act of Independence’ Award, whilst Grace Jones’ 2022 Meltdown was nominated for Music Week Awards Festival of the Year.
