May 8th is the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) when the country will pay tribute to the Second World War generation from British, Commonwealth and Allied Forces. This will be followed by Victory in Japan Day on August 15th. At the heart of the Royal British Legion events will be the stories of the men and women who served and gave so much to secure peace and the freedoms we enjoy today.
To mark the occasion, tea parties will be held across the country. Do check your local council and parish council websites for events being held nearby.
There are a number of key national events taking place, as listed below:
Monday 5th May (Bank Holiday)
- London - Military Procession from Cenotaph to Palace, 11.30am. The Cenotaph, the nation’s focal point of remembrance, will be dressed in Union Flags for the duration of the four-day commemorations, echoing the 1920 unveiling of the monument to the fallen.
- London - Flypast and HMS Belfast gun salute, 1-2pm. There will be a Military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft including the famous Red Arrows. The VE Day 80 commemorations will continue with a street party on HMS Belfast. HMS Belfast fired some of the opening shots on D-Day in 1944 and protected Arctic convoys during the Second World War, and is the most significant surviving Second World War warship
Tuesday 6th May
- Tower of London: An installation of ceramic poppies will return to the Tower of London to mark the anniversary. Nearly 30,000 of the original poppies from the 2014 display at the Tower, which commemorated the centenary of the First World War, will be displayed in a new installation within the walls of the fortress. This poppies installation will resemble a ‘wound’ at the heart of the Tower, which was itself bombed during the Blitz and still bears some of those scars today. It will mark and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many during the Second World War.
- Historic landmarks across the UK will be lit up in the evening.
- Edinburgh - Scotland's Salute Concert for VE Day 80th , 7.30pm: Poppyscotland and Legion Scotland are hosting an evening of reflection, remembrance, and celebration.
Wednesday 7th May
- Cardiff - National Service of Thanksgiving at Llandaff Cathedral, 6pm: This will bring together senior Welsh, military, community, faith and political leaders alongside veterans, Bevin Boys, Land Girls and other representatives of the home front to thank them for their service
Thursday 8th May (VE Day)
- London - Westminster Abbey Service, 11.30am: A service will take place at Westminster Abbey that will be both an act of shared remembrance and a celebration of the end of the war. It will be a moment to give thanks and to honour a generation that showed extraordinary courage and resilience.
- Staffordshire - Service of Commemoration at the Naval Review at the National Memorial Arboretum, 4pm: For WWII veterans and their families and those who have a connection to the war – the general public is also welcome to observe, though seating for members of the public at the Service of Commemoration will be made available on a first come first served basis after the ticketed guests are seated.
- London - Televised concert on Horse Guards Parade Ground, 7.30pm: The events will conclude with a concert at the historic Horseguards Parade to finish the VE Day 80 commemorations in a celebratory tone, echoing how the nation reacted to the news 80 years before. With more than 10,000 members of the public in attendance, the concert will feature stars of stage and screen and military musicians and tell the story of victory and the legacy of the Second World War in Europe.
Friday 15th August (VJ Day)
- Televised Remembrance event at the National Memorial Arboretum, 8pm: To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in the Far East, a service will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum. In partnership with the government, the Royal British Legion will lead the nation in honouring and remembering those who fought and died during the War in the Far East.
You can use the following interactive tool to explore events commemorating VE and VJ Days in our area: https://together.org.uk/ve80/
For more information on the Royal British Legion events, please use the following link: https://ve-vjday80.gov.uk/events/
