Nile Rodgers announces first acts for Meltdown Festival

The Southbank Centre has announced the first acts for Nile Rodgers’ Meltdown Festival. The 26th Meltdown will run from 3rd to 11th August and will feature the world premiere of the Eurhythmics Songbook, Thundercat, Kokoroko, Anitta, Durand Jones and The Indications, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein perform the music of Stranger Things, Alfa Mist, Despacio, Sophie, Songhoy Blues and festival curator Nile Rodgers and Chic.

Nile Rodgers, this year’s Meltdown curator has said: “It’s an honour for me to step into the shoes of David Bowie, Patti Smith, Ornette Coleman, Robert Smith and so many more to curate nine nights of amazing music for the people of London on its glorious South Bank. This is my home from home and it’s given me so much love and this is my way of giving back. My prime motivation was to present incredible music from all walks of life that would make everybody dance. From CHIC to KOKOROKO and our special Studio 54 night to my boy David A. Stewart and the Eurythmics Songbook, Songhoy Blues, Despacio and the full incredible line-up, we are going to dance, dance, dance from 3 - 11 August.”

The festival will open in style with a disco all-nighter on Saturday 3rd August. Rodgers and Chic will perform a special show on the Royal Festival Hall stage. Afterwards audience members will be able to immerse themselves in disco culture as the Southbank Centre is transformed in to the epicentre of Disco Chic, the New York nightclub ‘Studio 54’.

The original Meltdown took place in 1993 and was curated by British composure George Benjamin. Since then Laurie Anderson, John Peel, David Bowie, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Massive Attack, Ornette Coleman, Yoko Ono, David Byrne, M.I.A and Robert Smith in 2018 have all put their stamp on the Southbank Centre.

Nile Rodgers’ Meltdown takes place from 3rd to 11th August 2019, Southbank Centre, London, UK