Chaka Khan had to turn down Glastonbury’s legends slot this year.
The 71-year-old 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, Yoko Ono, to name a few, and due to her busy schedule, she was unable to accept the offer from the world-famous music festival’s organisers, Michael and Emily Eavis.
However, she hopes to head to Worthy Fame in 2025.
She told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column when asked if she would do it next year: “Yeah, sure – I would love that.”
Chaka added: “They did approach me, but I can’t because of this.”
Shania Twain, 58, was ultimately chosen for the Sunday afternoon slot dedicated to music icons, and joins headliners SZA, Dua Lipa and Coldplay.
The meltdown festival will take place from June 14 to 23, and Chaka teased: “We’re going to funk it up, rock every crowd, and touch every soul.”
The Southbank Centre’s head of contemporary music Adem Holness said: “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.”
Chaka 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, and Chaka has released 13 solo albums to date.
Chaka will also perform a run of UK shows this summer including at the Nocturne Live concert series at Blenheim Palace in London on 13 June.
Tickets for that can be bought at nocturnelive.com.
She is also set to perform at the Love Supreme Jazz Festival on July 7 – with tickets available at lovesupremejazzfestival.com.