David Byrne’s Meltdown

This festival brings legendary artists to Southbank Centre for a very special week of one-off performances.

David Byrne, the Oscar, Golden Globe, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning musician known for his eclectic collaborations, and as co-founder of seminal new wave band Talking Heads, will curate the 22nd Meltdown.

Byrne will follow in the footsteps of previous directors that include Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Ray Davies and Ornette Coleman.

As well as being the creative force behind Talking Heads, Byrne has forged a hugely successful solo career featuring eight albums that showcase his reputation for constant reinvention. His collaborators span the spectrum of popular music and include Brian Eno, St. Vincent, Morcheeba, Fatboy Slim, Paul Simon, Thievery Corporation, Arcade Fire and Anna Calvi.

As well as being a multi-instrumentalist and composer, Byrne is a photographer, actor, artist and author – most recently penning his autobiographical explanation of musical form How Music Works. The festival marks Byrne's return to the South Bank – his award-winning musical Here Lies Love had a successful limited run at the National Theatre’s Dorfman Theatre from September 2014.