Guy Garvey to curate Southbank's Meltdown Festival in 2016

Garvey's rein over Meltdown will take place 10-19 June next year, and the esteemed jack-of-all-trades will follow in the footsteps of Yoko Ono, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Morrissey, and more.

The festival welcomes Garvey back, following his performance with Elbow at Massive Attack's event in 2008.

Speaking about the opportunity, Garvey says: "I see this as the perfect opportunity to shine a light on some amazing new talent whilst recognising and celebrating the artists that have had an influence on the new sounds of today. Beyond that I want my Meltdown to be a party where everyone feels invited and everyone leaves having had the best night out.”

Southbank Centre's artistic director Jude Kelly adds: “Guy Garvey's outright enthusiasm for sharing music and introducing new art and artists to the widest possible audience fits hand-and-glove with what Southbank Centres strives for across its festival programme. Guy is an exciting choice – his contagious energy and creative spark has inspired an avid following, not to mention critical acclaim – and is the perfect figure to continue the Meltdown legacy.”

Meltdown Festival 2015 was curated by Talking Heads' David Byrne, who put on shows from a range of artists, including Anna Calvi and Sunn O))).