A taste of Guy Garvey’s Meltdown
In the summer of 2016, we handed over the curatorship of our 23rd Meltdown festival to musician, and lead singer of Elbow, Guy Garvey.
He didn’t disappoint. Across a packed 10 days, the Southbank Centre’s buildings and terraces were packed with revellers as we hosted nine unforgettable concerts, seven standing ovations, a stage invasion and much much more.
Along with sold-out gigs featuring acts such as Femi Kuti, Laura Marling, Richard Hawley, I Am Kloot, Garvey himself and a first concert in 15 years from Lift To Experience, Meltdown spread out onto the Thames for the first time, with boat parties rolling down the river. And the festival closed with a day dedicated to the refugee crisis, culminating in a concert in which Garvey spoke out against government policy on refugees.
In this video, featuring highlights from the festival, Garvey talks about what it is to curate Meltdown, and how he chose to approach it.
‘It’s been great welcoming my friends to the Southbank Centre… its like a new bunch of mates every day’
Guy Garvey on his Meltdown festival