Southbank Centre

Joining a long list of legendary names that includes David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Grace Jones and David Byrne, Chaka Khan is taking on Southbank Centre’s fabulous annual Meltdown Festival, and the full line-up has just been announced. Todrick Hall (June 16), Speakers Corner Quartet and the Guildhall Orchestra (June 17), Incognito (June 19) and Morcheeba (June 22) led the first wave of performers, and they'll be joined by the likes of Emeli Sandé (June 15), Bruce Hornsby (June 18), and War (June 21). Not enough for you? There will also be standing gigs in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer from Les Amazones d’Afrique (June 14), Master Peace (June 15) and Big Joanie (June 22), while the programme boasts club nights, intimate takeovers in the Purcell Room, and free events throughout the festival. You can expect a celebration of all things Chaka, as it marks a whopping 50 years of her career as a musician. In that time, she's sold 100 million records, won ten Grammys and released absolute bangers like 'Ain't Nobody', 'I'm Every Woman', 'I Feel for You' – need we go on?

London’s summer calendar is already packed full of cracking festivals and parties, but kicking it off at a joyous, open-air Pride celebration sounds like one of the more fabulous options. Nazar is the Southbank Centre’s end of Pride Month celebration where you can groove along to cracking DJs of SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) and South Asian communities. The event is open to all and looks set to be a vibrant party, but the aim is to create a safe and celebratory space for members of these communities in particular. For family-friendly content, you should attend before 9pm.

Sure, there are plenty of great venues across London to sit and enjoy some jazz tunes throughout the year, but this festival aims to spotlight the best but underexposed bands that the city has to offer right now – the likes of Shabaka Hutchings (Guildhall grad Jazz musician and composer), Nubya Garcia (London-based Saxophonist and composer) and Ezra Collective (Time Out’s 2023 Londonders of the Year) all received some early-career support from Jazz Re:freshed, the non-profit behind this event. Along with championing new talent, the event hopes to share access to Jazz with a whole new audience, too!

UK-based print magazine and creative agency Azeema was founded back in 2017, and is centred around celebrating women and non-binary people of the global majority. Across one weekend in July, the collective is hosting a series of events at the Southbank Centre’s Riverside Stage. Azeema’s House Party is a coming-together of diasporic sounds on the Friday night, Azeema’s Open House will take place on the Saturday and Azeema’s Home from Home is scheduled for the Sunday, all an effort to find some unity and celebrate through talks, workshops and performances. You can read more about each event on the Southbank Centre’s website.

The Southbank Centre will transform into a shimmying, salsa-ing celebration on the first weekend of August, thanks to a curated collaboration in partnership with FLAWA (Festival of Latin American Women in the Arts). Everyone will be invited to participate and learn more about the diversity and variety of Latin-American culture, and there will be three brilliant events to do so. Latinas Presente on the Friday will feature an array of live performances to get yourself moving for the weekend, LatinXtravaganza will be family-friendly shows and chances to dance well into the evening on the Saturday, and on the Sunday, it’s time for ¡Aquí Estamos! We Are Here!, a collection of more Latin American Music and DJs. Bailemos!

‘You Belong Here’ is the 2024 theme for the Southbank Centre’s summer season, and around that they’ve collaborated with some inspiring organisations to curate weekends of colourful events to get involved in. Counterpoints Arts’ weekend is kicking off on Friday August 9 with Our HeartBeats, a community club night featuring sets from established as well as refugee DJs. On Saturday, We Move With Joy will comprise an afternoon of activities and movement to (guess what?) spread joy, and on Sunday to round off the weekend, Acting With Love & Solidarity will include singing, poetry, and most importantly, food, organised thanks to Counterpoints Arts’ climate justice and migration network.

Another of the Southbank Centre’s enticing weekend takeovers is courtesy of ESEA Unseen, a duo of two neurodiverse multi-media artists, Kim Chin and Sue Man. Chance Encounters will take place on Friday August 16, where visitors can enjoy the collection of DJs and British artists from East and Southeast Asian diaspora; Happenstance will be an afternoon of processions that you can participate in, and Fabulation on the Sunday will feature guided walks and workshops all soundtracked by authentic ESEA instruments. Sound good? Each of the Southbank Centre’s brilliant weekend takeovers are completely free – have a look at the website for more information.