Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival is famed for bringing to life the world of its director and this year is to be curated by elbow’s lead singer, and now solo artist, Guy Garvey.

Taking place from 10 – 19 June, Meltdown is now in its 23rd year, and includes a day dedicated to addressing the refugee crisis culminating in a star-studded concert featuring Robert Plant and those listed above, also of note will be American rock band Lift To Experience, who will be playing their first show in 15 years.

Highlights include:

• An extraordinary one-off concert The Boat We’re In launching Refugee Week at Southbank Centre with appearances from Robert Plant, Guy Garvey, Nick Mulvey, Nadine Shah, and Josephine Oniyama, joined onstage by Southbank Sinfonia and choirs (19 June)
• Josh T.Pearson’s Lift to Experience reunited for a world exclusive, playing their first show in 15 years (10 June)
• Acclaimed Mancunian indie trio I Am Kloot performing their Mercury Award nominated album Sky at Night in its entirety with a 13-piece orchestral ensemble (13 June)
• Laura Marling performing an intimate concert drawn from her hugely popular albums Once I Was an Eagle and Short Movie (18 June)
• Meltdown director Guy Garvey performing material from his critically acclaimed debut solo album Courting the Squall in a unique show featuring special guests (17 June)
• Meltdown The River party boats complete with live music, DJ’s and dancing leaving from the Royal Festival Hall (11 June)

Leading into Refugee Week, on Sunday 19 June Meltdown holds Refugees Welcome, an entire day of free activity addressing the current refugee crisis. Musicians, poets and dancers pop-up across the site, and the marketplace holds activities and craft workshops in a day produced in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts.

Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Music Journalism Course returns this year, offering 18-25 year old budding journalists tuition, guidance and practical experience to report on music. The course is run by expert bloggers, magazine editors, digital producers, podcasters and radio producers at BBC.

Guy said of the event:

“My Meltdown is coming together. It feels like an extension of my 6 Music radio programme. I get to put my name to other people’s hard work and talent. Brill.

“I’ve not overthought it. I’ve put together a bill I’d love to see and I’ve made sure there’s something for everyone. All time greats that have never been far from the cutting edge, to brand new talent worthy of more attention and some reunions I never thought I’d see. There’s plenty more still to announce but currently, alongside the music, we’ve got poetry and a ton of interactive events, and there is an overarching theme – boats.

“The theme of boats is also a reminder that being an island nation, every one of us is the direct descendent of a desperate immigrant, probably in a boat. The whole festival will end with a unanimous shout from the world’s musicians to Europe’s leaders, that we are all in the same boat and to deny the people begging our help with hell at their backs, even temporary asylum is a generations shame.”

More shows are yet to be announced, but tickets will be on sale to members on 16 March at 10am, and to general public on 18 March at 10am | Buy here