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Mega Mega: Romford’s Suburban Sound Revolution runs from October to December 2026

The east London borough’s ravers are having their moment.

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August 13, 2026 – Former world title challenger Craig “Spider” Richards will take on Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic in a crossroads 10-round light heavyweight showdown on Saturday, September 26, as part of ZUFFA BOXING 11 at London’s Copper Box Arena. Richards vs. Kalajdzic will serve as the chief support bout to the 10-round heavyweight main event featuring Romford’s Johnny Fisher. An opponent for Fisher will be announced in the coming days. Tickets for ZUFFA BOXING 11 will go on sale Friday, August 14 at 10 a.m. BST via Ticketmaster. 

Shoppers in Romford can now enjoy a completely revamped Boots store after the retailer unveiled a major makeover at its Liberty Shopping Centre branch, bringing a host of new beauty brands and expa…

After their MP promised a vote on whether to remain a part of the capital, Bryony Gooch and Shaheena Uddin meet Havering locals, who are divided on the idea

Romford’s legendary rave and clubbing history is set to take centre stage this summer as a unique interactive artwork invites residents to relive the soundtrack of a generation. A specially m…

LONDON’S POPULAR FRESH SUSHI EATERIE TO OPEN ON SOUTH STREET, WITH HUNDREDS OF FREE ROLLS AND OFFERS. Romford’s newest addition is one of the UK’s fastest-growing restaurant chains opening at 67 So…

Romford’s annual Pride event brought colour, music and a strong message of inclusion to the heart of the town on Saturday as visitors gathered at the Mercury Shopping Centre to celebrate the …

Today – the first Friday of June – marks National Fish and Chip Day 2026, and what better way to celebrate than to spotlight Romford’s own Bow Bells Café, located in Romford Shopp…

A Reform council cancelled Romford’s pride event for the first time in years (Picture: Keira Gomez ) London’s only Reform council cancelled their Pride flag ceremony, leaving the borough ‘no longer feeling like home’ for their residents. Havering Council announced the event would not go ahead with just three days notice on Friday. This is despite the flag ceremony happening every year at the start of Pride Month in June since 2016. Carrie Kendall, who has lived in the borough all of her life, said Havering ‘no longer feels like home’. She said: ‘I always noticed when the pride flag went up as early as 2016 and it made me happy, because visibility is so important. ‘Now I am worried the council’s actions will lead people to think homophobia is permissible.’ ## ‘There’s nothing inclusive about shoving that degeneracy down everyone’s throat’ The group were able to organise an impromptu celebration(Picture: Mark Whiley) And the online comments certainly prove this. One person described the flags as ‘divisive symbols’ which should not be flown. ## Join Metro's LGBTQ+ community on WhatsApp With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply **click on this link** , select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! Another said ‘there’s nothing inclusive about shoving that degeneracy down everyone’s throat.’ The council’s decision came after the Reform Party instructed their councils to not fly any flags apart from the Union Jack or the St George’s Cross. Council Leader Keith Prince AM told Metro the only other flags they would be willing to fly are those which ‘recognise our heroes like the armed forces’. Members of the LGBTQ+ in Havering were still able to rally round and organise their own impromptu event to mark the day. This included people waving the flags as well as speeches and a picnic, which was helped organised by LGBTQ+ youth group Kaleidoscope, which Carrie founded. ‘We can’t change their decision, but we can be more direct with our efforts,’ she said. ‘This is the worst I have seen homophobia in a long time, it all feels very uncertain.’ Mark Whiley, a life-long resident and leader of the Green Party in the area, agrees. He said he suffered homophobic bullying in school, and has started experiencing it again over the last few years. ‘I had some abuse thrown at me by some young people on a bus last year, which we is why we need to stand up and be visible,’ Mark said. Council Leader Prince AM said: ‘The Council Administration is updating policies in line with Reform UK national policies on flag flying which sets out that the only flags flown on public buildings are the Union Flag, the St. George’s Cross, and the Havering Council flag. ‘The Union Flag represents our country and as such is inclusive of all our residents. The only other events we will be flying flags for will be to recognise our heroes like the armed forces and veterans who do so much for our country.’ ******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.****** **For more stories like this,** check our news page. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source