June 12, 2026

Photos & Writing by Iris Flynt

SHABAKA AND FRIENDS’ REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE AT HARRY STYLES’ MELTDOWN FESTIVAL TRANSPORTED US OUT OF THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL — and immersed us totally in their dynamic and playful sonic landscape.

I walked into the auditorium and my eyes immediately latched on to one of Shabaka’s own paintings projected behind the stage. A vibrant abstract piece full of electric blues, yellows and reds. I sat down with eager anticipation. Having never seen Shabaka perform live before, I had no idea what was in store. As I spoke to the person next to me, she revealed that when she saw his last show at the Southbank Centre in 2024, it was the best concert she had ever seen and that we were sat in her favourite spot of the venue. My excitement grew immensely.

Shabaka was joined on stage by Dan Nicholls on piano and synth, Sebastian Rockford on drums and Dudù Kouate on percussion. All four musicians began playing with such an easiness, as though the music poured out of them. Each of them delivered a masterful and highly expressive performance, speaking to the crowd and each other through their respective instruments. Their familiarity with each other was reflected in their tightly woven sound, all of them completely locked in with one another.

The group played continuously for an hour and a half with no moments of true silence between songs; the crowd was completely enveloped in this seamless and fluid soundscape. Their playing was so powerful that I often felt compelled to close my eyes in order to take it all in.

It was at times hard to believe that there were only four of them on stage as the musicians filled the room so well. The variety of instruments played contributed to this expansive feeling. Shabaka switched between various flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet, synth and mbira, carving intricate and electric melodies with each, while Kouate made his way through an almost overflowing podium full of percussion instruments including a Mark tree, gourd, cymbals and shells.

The standout for me, was his captivating performance using his self-conceived water flute. An instrument that had visually piqued my curiosity from before the show began: two flutes attached to plastic bottles which Kouate immersed into a bucket filled with water. When the music calmed to just Shabaka and Kouate playing their respective flutes, the beautiful bird-like song from the water flutes shone through the room.

Earlier in the day I overheard someone talking about one of the Meltdown DJ sets on the terrace and how amazing the music was, yet not many people were dancing. His friend replied saying “that’s the British way isn’t it?” Despite the often infectious rhythms played by the group, the majority of the crowd sat motionless, stunned by the music, but I couldn’t help but move along from my seat.

When the performance ended, the crowd erupted in roaring applause. Shabaka thanked the audience and announced that he’ll be releasing an album of them playing on Shabaka records, expected to be out by the end of June.

I almost felt whiplash from how quickly I was snapped from the world they had created and brought back to Earth. I noticed others remain in their seats after the show, silently processing what they had just witnessed.