Chaka Khan had to turn down Glastonbury’s Legends slot this year.
The funk legend is the curator of the Meltdown Festival at London’s Southbank Centre, following in the footsteps of late rock legend David Bowie, Grace Jones and Yoko Ono, to name a few. Due to her busy schedule, Khan was unable to accept the offer from the world-famous music festival’s organizers, Michael and Emily Eavis.
However, she hopes to head to Worthy Fame in 2025.
“Yeah, sure – I would love that,” the “I Feel For You” hitmaker told The Sun‘s Bizarre column when asked if she would do it next year.
“They did approach me,” Khan added regarding Worthy Fame, “but I can’t because of this.”
Shania Twain was ultimately chosen for the Sunday afternoon slot dedicated to music icons. Twain joins headliners SZA, Dua Lipa and Coldplay.
The Meltdown Festival will take place from June 14 to 23.
“We’re going to funk it up, rock every crowd, and touch every soul,” Chaka teased.
“I’ve learned how important community, activism, love and care are to her so these ideas, along with brilliant music, will be the foundation of Meltdown,” the Southbank Centre’s head of contemporary music Adem Holness said.
Khan is using the festival to mark her 50 years in music after she hit the landmark in 2023, following the release of her 1973 debut album, Rufus.
Her first solo single, “I’m Every Woman” — released in 1978 — is among the classics of the disco era. Khan has released 13 solo albums to date.
The R&B legend will also perform several U.K. shows this summer, including the Nocturne Live concert series at Blenheim Palace in London on June 13. Tickets for that can be bought at nocturnelive.com.
Khan is also set to perform at the Love Supreme Jazz Festival on July 7, with tickets available at lovesupremefestival.com.
