Visitors at the opening of Mega Mega at ATIK in Romford.

Romford’s Rave Memories Come Alive As Mega Mega Opens At ATIK

30th October 202630th October 2026 The Havering Daily 0 Comments Atik, Havering London, MEGA MEGA min read

A well-attended launch brought visitors together to explore the photographs, flyers, music and equipment telling the story of the town’s influential dance music scene.

Romford’s clubbing past was back in the spotlight on Thursday 29 October as Mega Mega opened at ATIK, celebrating a decade when local creativity helped shape sounds heard far beyond the borough.

The exhibition, Mega Mega: Romford’s Suburban Sound Revolution, 1989–1999, brings together the music and memories of a generation through archive photographs, records, posters, flyers, film and first-hand accounts.

Introductory panel for Mega Mega: Romford’s Suburban Sound Revolution, 1989–1999. — *Mega Mega celebrates Romford’s electronic music and club culture between 1989 and 1999.*

The opening evening was well attended, with visitors exploring displays filled with reminders of the period. Music accompanied the exhibition, while photographs of packed dancefloors and colourful club flyers recalled the venues and nights that formed part of local life.

*Guests explore the displays at the launch of Mega Mega.*

Among those attending were MC Vapour and Mark Ruff Ryder, pictured together beside a display of music equipment.

MC Vapor and Mark Ruffrider at the opening of Mega Mega in Romford. — *MC Vapour and Mark Ruff Ryder at the opening of Mega Mega in Romford.*

The displays offer a close look at the technology behind the sounds, with mixing equipment, samplers and floppy disks among the objects on show. Elsewhere, framed records and sleeves sit alongside photographs and promotional material from the scene.

*Mixing equipment, samplers and floppy disks offer a glimpse of the technology behind the music.*

*Records and sleeves displayed in the exhibition’s On the Record section.*

Produced by Havering London and curated by Katherine Green, the exhibition looks beyond individual performers to the wider community that made the music possible.

Record shops including Boogie Times and Hard House, labels such as Strictly Underground, Out of Romford and Suburban Base, and pirate stations including Unity, Shakedown and Influence FM all feature in the history being explored.

*Club flyers recall the nights and venues that helped shape Romford’s music scene.*

*Archive photographs on display capture nights out from Romford’s clubbing past.*

Together, these networks helped Romford become an influential centre for electronic music, spanning hardcore, jungle, drum and bass and garage. Alongside the exhibition, a permanent archive is being developed to preserve the stories and material locally for future generations.

The project also connects that history with contemporary creativity through new commissions, including illustration, painting and film.

*JFF Security at the opening of Mega Mega in Romford.*

Mega Mega runs until Sunday 20 December 2026 at ATIK, 108 South Street, Romford, RM1 1SS. Opening hours are noon to 8pm Thursday to Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sundays.

Adult admission costs £12 plus a £1.47 booking fee, with concessions £10 plus £1.27. An additional per-order fee applies. Paid tickets must be booked in advance.

Under-16s enter free with an accompanying adult, and free companion tickets are available. Havering residents can visit free on Thursdays, subject to availability, with proof of address required.

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