Pride of Southend: City Day proposed for 7 March 2026 as the community stands up in droves

October 28, 2025

Next year’s Southend City Day is likely to be held on Saturday 7 March 2026, with around 65,000 visitors to the city centre during this year’s inaugural event.

110,000 poppies donated to the Pier and over 1,500 volunteer hours in culture services between April and June 2025​ prove how residents are standing up for Southend in droves and are already making their city proud.

Equally, thousands travelled to Wembley to see the Shrimpers reach the League Finals and jubilant fans welcomed the Lionesses home at Southend Airport – both showing Southenders’ community spirit.

More than 200,000 residents and visitors attended Southend City Jam over three days, and the city was named Best Seaside Town in the UK, proving Southend-on-Sea’s place as a unique cultural destination.

Southend-on-Sea City Council has reaffirmed its commitment to building a stronger sense of civic pride through the continued success of its Civic Pride Action Plan, alongside the announcement of the next Southend City Day, set to take place on Saturday 7 March 2026.

With a long list of achievements already delivered and more work to be done, the Council remains focused on strengthening civic pride across the city.

Launched in January 2025, the Civic Pride Action Plan is a multi-year initiative designed to strengthen residents’ emotional connection to living and working in Southend. The Council continues to make significant progress on a range of initiatives, including:

Street cleaning and graffiti removal, with enhanced jet washing and a new contractor, SUEZ, ensuring faster response times.

Highway verge maintenance, bolstered by early seasonal staffing.

Support for rough sleepers, with 20 individuals engaged during City Day 2025 and connected to vital services.

Volunteering initiatives, such as litter-picking stations at Two Tree Island and community-led clean-up efforts on Hamlet Court Road.

Looking further ahead, major projects on track for 2026 include:

Enhancements to the Southend Victoria Station to High Street approach.

Completion of playground upgrades and the design and delivery of a new inclusive playground at East Beach.

Continued progress on the Never Never Land redevelopment and cliff stabilisation works on Western Esplanade.

The launch of a Southend-on-Sea edition of Monopoly, celebrating the city’s unique landmarks and culture.

Cllr Daniel Cowan, Leader of the Council, said: "Community spirit and being proud of Southend as a place is about more than just cleaner, safer streets – it’s about building a city together, where people feel proud to live, work, and visit.

“Not only that, but over the past six months alone we’ve seen thousands of fans cheer on the Lionesses and the Shrimpers alike, as well as coming out for our key events and Southenders coming forward in droves to volunteer in our libraries, parks and streets.

“We know that we’ve got more work to do before March and City Day 2026, but the progress we’ve made so far is a testament to the dedication of our residents, partners, and frontline council teams.”

The Civic Pride Action Plan continues to be a cornerstone of the Council’s vision for a thriving, inclusive, and vibrant Southend.