Britain is set to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a four-day celebration beginning on May 5, 2025.
The commemorations will honour the millions who served in the Second World War across the UK and Commonwealth.
Events will include a military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace followed by a flypast featuring current and historic aircraft, including the Red Arrows.
The Cenotaph will be dressed in Union Flags throughout the celebrations, echoing its 1920 unveiling.
There will be celebrations across the country for the 80th anniversary of VE Day
Getty
Crowds surround the Cenotaph and Ministry of Health building at Whitehall, May 8 1945
Imperial War Museums via Getty Images
HMS Belfast, which fired some of the opening shots on D-Day in 1944, will host a street party.
Communities across the country are encouraged to hold street parties and gatherings, mirroring the celebrations that took place 80 years ago when the population welcomed the end of the war.
The events will share stories of the wartime generation, from those who fought to children who were evacuated. The celebrations continue on May 6 with nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies returning to the Tower of London in a new installation.
The display will resemble a ‘wound’ at the heart of the fortress, which was bombed during the Blitz. Historic landmarks across the UK will also be illuminated that evening.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Street parties were held remotely to mark VE Day
PA
HMS Belfast will host a street party
PA
On May 7, the Parliament Choir will host a Victory in Europe Day Anniversary Concert in Westminster Hall, marking 80 years since victory was declared. The following day, May 8, VE Day itself, will see a service at Westminster Abbey combining remembrance with celebration.
The commemorations will conclude with a concert at the historic Horseguards Parade featuring stars of stage and screen alongside military musicians.
More than 10,000 members of the public will attend this celebratory event, echoing the nation’s reaction to the news 80 years ago.
The 80th anniversary of VJ Day will be marked on August 15 with a service at the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield. The Royal British Legion will lead the nation in honouring those who fought and died during the War in the Far East.
National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire
Getty
A nationwide initiative called “Letters to Loved Ones” will encourage the public to discover family letters sent during the Second World War. The project, in partnership with Imperial War Museums, aims to bring together first-hand testimonies from soldiers and civilians.
Educational resources will be made available for schools and youth groups across the country. Arts Council England will work with organisations to commemorate the anniversaries creatively from April through 2025.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “The 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day are important opportunities for communities to come together to pay tribute to all those who served in the Second World War and to reflect on the values that they were fighting for.”
Ruth Bourne, 98, a Second World War Wren who worked at Bletchley Park, recalled: “There was an electric buzz among everyone and eventually the Royals came out and waved, and we cheered like crazy waving whatever we had on us.”
Events will include a military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace followed by a flypast featuring current and historic aircraft, including the Red Arrows
Getty
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “80 years ago, the freedoms we enjoy today were defended by our remarkable Second World War generation.”
Dr Tara Knights from the Royal British Legion added: “We owe it to all those from the Second World War generation to thank them for their bravery and sacrifice in the defence of freedoms we still enjoy to this day.”
