Little Simz Announces Orchestral Show
Little Simz is set to perform a one-time orchestral show at the London Meltdown 2025, with the initial lineup unveiled today for the SouthBank Centre event.
Festival Highlights and Dates
Earlier, it was revealed that the British artist curated the composition for the 11-day festival this year and will also take the stage as one of the performers.
A resident of the SouthBank Centre orchestra, Chinekee, will join her for a unique performance at the Royal Festival Hall on June 22. This show will feature hits from her entire catalog, as well as tracks from her anticipated sixth studio album “Lotus”, scheduled for release on May 9 through Awal Recordings.
Running from Thursday, June 12 to June 22, the event will showcase numerous live performances from artists handpicked by Little Simz, alongside two featured programs involving group participation and local organizations.
The first wave of artists slated to participate in the 2025 Festival was announced today (March 24) and includes Lola Young, INETTA, John Batist, Sasha Kate with Flames Collective, and Little Dragon’s Yukimi.
“The initial showcase of Little Simz captures the diverse influences and inspirations present in her work,” said Jane Biz, head of modern music at Southbank. “Drawing from jazz, hip-hop, R&B, electronics, and soul, merging renowned legends and future creators, this represents just the beginning of what will unfold at London’s festival this summer.”
Tickets will be available for members this Wednesday (March 26) at 10 a.m., and for the general public at the same time on Friday (March 28) Here.
In a previous statement, Simz expressed her enthusiasm about being the curator for the 2025 festival, declaring, “this will be the highlight of 2025.”
The rapper adds her name to a prestigious list of past curators at SouthBank Centre, including David Bowie, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Grace Jones, Kins, Nile Rogers, Robert Smith, David Byrne, and Yoko Ono.
News of her curatorial role broke just days after the artist shared a cryptic message on social media, prompting fan speculation about a new album.
The upcoming album “Lotus” follows her previous critically acclaimed project, “No Thank You,” which earned her the Mercury and Brit Awards in 2022. In a four-star review, NME noted: “The quiet, contemplative release is reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar’s 2016 album “Untitled Unmastered,” showcasing a wealth of ideas from her sessions of “Pimp a Butterfly.”
“It also offers a sense of spontaneity and freedom across the tracks, and like Lamar, Simz has something urgent to communicate. This release further cements her status among the era’s greats,” they concluded.
She closed out 2024 with the release of her single “Hello, Hello,” hinting that more music could be on the horizon for 2025. Additionally, Simz collaborated on recent singles “We Are Praying,” “Satellite Business 2.0” with Sampha, and the track “Black and British.”
Last year, she partnered with Tate Modern to oversee an evening of music, seminars, and discussions. In November, Simz was also present to honor Busta Rhymes with the Global Icon Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Manchester.
In other news, Little Simz has reportedly approached producer and Sault member Pluclo for a loan of 1.7 million pounds.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/little-simz-to-play-one-off-orchestral-show-at-londons-meltdown-2025-as-first-line-up-announced-3848673?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=little-simz-to-play-one-off-orchestral-show-at-londons-meltdown-2025-as-first-line-up-announced
