Meltdown begins tomorrow on the South Bank in London but tonight Afrobeat drum legend Tony Allen performs in a special Front Room launch concert.

Over the weekend, hip hop group The Roots will be performing and Acoustic Ladyland will be playing a free concert in the Clore Ballroom on Sunday. Festival highlights include the Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, Senegalese superstar Baaba Maal, American DJ/singer Moby, singer Bobby McFerrin and The Voicelab Choir, punk singer/poet Patti Smith with The Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra, and maverick free-jazz band Led Bib.

The festival continues until 21 June, culminating in performances from jazz legends Charlie Haden, Carla Bley and of course Ornette Coleman who is also to appear as a guest for several other performances. Other artists to check out are the post-jazz trio The Bad Plus, the electronicist Kieran Hebden, and singer/guitarist James “Blood” Ulmer. Collaborators with Ornette also include guests such as guitarist Bill Frisell, Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers and founding member of Soft Machine and former Meltdown curator, Robert Wyatt.

- David Tshulak

For more, go to http://meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk