Four days of concerts, services and processions were announced

People are being urged to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with jubilant street parties, as officials announce a four-day line-up packed with concerts, services and processions. VE Day signifies Victory in Europe Day and is observed annually on May 8, commemorating the day the Allies formally accepted Germany’s surrender in 1945.

In light of this milestone, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has expressed that this year presents “important opportunities for communities to come together”. Festivities will kick off with a military parade setting out from Whitehall, making its way to Buckingham Palace on the bank holiday of May 5.

The government confirmed in November 2024 that there are no plans to introduce extra bank holidays this year to commemorate the 80th anniversary. The Daily Express had reported that ministers were contemplating additional days off to mark Victory in Europe (VE) Day or Victory over Japan (VJ) Day in 1945.

However, Downing Street clarified in November 2024 that this was not being considered. Bank holiday street parties and barbecues on May 5 will be organised by the coalition, and the first day of events includes a street party on the surviving warship HMS Belfast.

This year’s events offer “a great opportunity to celebrate what we have in common, and to use the celebrations to reach out to neighbours, friends and our wider communities”, said Brendan Cox, co-founder of the Together Coalition, which is organising the VEDay80 community campaign.

Bruno Peek, pageant master of the commemoration, said: “We encourage everyone to take part – raise the VE Day flag at 9am, gather in streets, gardens, town halls, clubs and pubs. Let this be a day of joy, reflection, and celebration.”

Landmarks will be lit up to mark the occasion, and the Cenotaph will be draped in Union flags for the first time since it was unveiled by King George IV in 1920. An installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies will be displayed in the Tower of London, which was bombed during the Blitz.

Commemorating the newsflash announcement on the evening of May 7 1945 that the following day would be VE Day, the Parliament Choir will host an anniversary concert in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster.

On VE Day itself, a service will take place at Westminster Abbey and more than 10,000 members of the public will attend a concert at Horseguards Parade.

The end of the war in the Far East will be commemorated on August 15 with a service at the National Memorial Arboretum by the Royal British Legion, the nation’s largest military charity, in partnership with the Government.

Both August 15, a week after the US bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and September 2, when Japan signed a document to officially surrender, are known as VJ Day or Victory in Japan Day.

Ms Nandy said these commemorations will be an opportunity to “hear our veterans’ stories first hand, to reflect and remember, and ensure that their stories of sacrifice and service are remembered for generations to come”.