A much-loved lost Romford landmark will be brought back to life in a spectacular free light and sound show as part of this year’s Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.
Romford Market will be transformed on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 for Meet Me by the Fountain, a large-scale production inspired by the town’s iconic 1970s Liberty fountain.
The show will use light, video projection, sound and storytelling to recreate the spirit of the former fountain and explore memories of Romford and its changing town centre.
It will form part of the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) 2026, which brings more than two weeks of free outdoor theatre, dance, circus and art to locations across London.
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Created by David Shearing, with text by Vickie Donoghue, sound by James Bulley and video projection by Novak, Meet Me by the Fountain will explore Romford’s past, present and imagined future.
The production draws on Romford Market’s 775-year history, taking audiences from its medieval origins and wartime experiences through the 1980s and present day before looking towards what the town might become in years to come.
As darkness falls, projections, light and sound will ripple across the historic market square, bringing echoes of the Liberty fountain and the memories associated with it back to the heart of Romford.
The fountain was once a familiar meeting point for generations of shoppers and residents, and its revival will provide the centrepiece for a show exploring the relationship between people, places and memories.
Visitors will also be able to experience Romford’s history during the daytime through Suburban Legends.
Taking place from 11am until 4pm, the programme will bring costumed characters and pop-up performances into the town centre.
Co-created with local people, the performances will explore myths, legends and stories connected with Romford and its communities.
More than two weeks of free performances
Meet Me by the Fountain is among the highlights of GDIF 2026, London's longest-running free outdoor performing arts festival.
Running from August 21 until September 6, the festival will stage performances across the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Newham, Thamesmead and other parts of east London.
This year's programme, under the theme "We Move", includes three world premieres, five UK premieres and ten London premieres, with more than 25 companies taking part.
Artists and companies will travel from countries including Argentina, France, Catalonia, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
The festival begins on August 21 with 360, a large-scale dance ritual by French choreographer Mehdi Kerkouche performed on a circular stage in Woolwich town centre.
Greenwich Fair will then take place on August 22 and 23 at the Grand Ascent in Greenwich Park, with a family-friendly programme of street theatre, circus, dance and games.
Among the productions will be ElevateHer, a feminist circus show by Daughters of the Wire; BUG, featuring oversized street-dancing insects; and Kismat Walla, in which a travelling cart brings stories of fate and fortune to audiences.
Another major performance, Efectos Especiales, will take place at Greenwich Peninsula on August 29 and 30.
The immersive Argentinian production combines dance, cinema and theatre and will feature Ishariah Johnson, Róisín Watson and Christopher Matthews.
Other London premieres include The Aunties: The House of Masks, Man Down by Deaf choreographer Chris Fonseca and Afro-beat gig-theatre production The Torch.
On September 4 and 5, Nature Speaks will bring a double bill of audio-visual installations to Thamesmead.
Dancing City will follow on September 5, with free outdoor dance performances taking place across Stratford, including Benched by Denmark's Uppercut Dance Theater and Man Down by Fuse Theatre.
The festival will conclude with (In)Visible Dancing, a mass movement finale co-created with Greenwich community dance groups.
Created by Luca Silvestrini's Woolwich-based dance company Protein, the flashmob-style performance will celebrate community and movement.
GDIF will also provide a range of accessibility measures across its programme, including British Sign Language interpretation, touch tours and live audio description.
Meet Me by the Fountain takes place at Romford Market on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 and is free to attend. Suburban Legends will take place during the day from 11am to 4pm.
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