Cenotaph draped in Union Flags, Westminster Abbey service, concert and Flypast among plans unveiled to mark VE Day 80

The 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day will be marked this year with a series of events and celebrations that will share stories of the Second World War generation. 

Victory in Europe (VE Day), which takes place on 8 May, marks the Allied victory in Europe. The news resulted in millions celebrating the end of the war, with street parties, dancing and singing across the country. The war in the Far East did not end until 15 August 1945 with VJ Day (Victory Over Japan). 

The commemorations will pay tribute to the millions of people across the UK and Commonwealth who served in the Second World War, telling the stories of those who fought, the children who were evacuated, and those who stepped into the essential roles on the Home Front. 

The early May Bank Holiday will see the beginning of the events to mark VE and VJ Day 80 with events planned including a Military procession and flypast of current and historic military aircraft, the return of the poppies to the Tower of London and a nationwide call for families to delve into their lofts and discover their own Second World War stories: 

Monday 5 May:

• To ensure the commemorations act as a point of remembrance of the millions who lost their lives in the conflict as well as a celebration of peace, the commemorations will begin in Whitehall. 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. From Monday 5 May, it will provide a focal point for the commemorations and a place to pay silent tribute to all those who died, both at home and abroad, during the Second World War.

• To honour and remember those who fell during the Second World War, 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.

• Street parties, barbecues and community get togethers, supported by ideas and inspiration from The Together Coalition and The Big Lunch, will be held by communities across the country, echoing the celebrations 80 years ago as the population welcomed the end of the war.

Tuesday 6 May:

• 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 this evening.

Wednesday 7 May:

• On the evening of the 7th May 1945, a newsflash announced that the following day would be Victory in Europe Day. To commemorate this important moment in the nation's history, the Parliament Choir will host a Victory in Europe Day Anniversary Concert in the famous Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster, eighty years to the day that victory was declared.

Thursday 8 May: 

• 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.

• 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 15 August:

• 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. 

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.

“By taking part in these significant commemorations, people across society will be able 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.”

Ruth Bourne, 98, a Second World War Wren working as a link in the chain of codebreakers who intercepted Nazi messages at Bletchley Park said:

“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. People climbed on every available lamppost, lit bonfires in Hyde Park and we sat around singing songs. Not many went to bed that night!”

In partnership with Imperial War Museums, Letters to Loved Ones will encourage the public to delve into their family history to find letters sent by their relatives to loved ones during the Second World War. It is hoped that this will bring together first-hand testimonies from soldiers on the front line, and the women and children on the home front. Letters to Loved Ones will culminate in an event in May, bringing together school children and their families from across the UK. 

From April through 2025, Arts Council England will work with arts organisations to join with their communities and creatively commemorate, celebrate and reflect on the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Day. Funding will also be made available through the National Lottery Community Fund Awards For All programme for organisations to bid for grants to host events, activities and projects this year for communities to come together to commemorate the war and its impact on individuals and communities across the country.

Resources and educational material will be made available for schools and youth groups to help young people learn about the Second World War and the importance of the role played by their forebearers in securing the peace we enjoy today.  

The Royal British Legion, the nation's largest military charity, will be making resources available for schools and local communities across the country and working through its network of membership branches to mark the anniversary.

The commemorations will be UK wide with activities across the nations and regions. Further details on the fly past, national events and plans to mark the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day across the UK, and how the public can get involved, will be announced in due course.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

“80 years ago, the freedoms we enjoy today were defended by our remarkable Second World War generation.

“Our duty today is to safeguard the British values they sacrificed so much to uphold.

“As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, our grateful nation looks forward to joining our brave Armed Forces and veterans to reflect, rejoice and remember.”

Dr Tara Knights, the Royal British Legion's Head of Remembrance, said: 

“The Royal British Legion is proud to be marking the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day and will put Second World War veterans at the heart of these commemorations. These are significant anniversaries, and 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. We will be running educational and community engagement programmes to encourage everyone to get involved in this momentous occasion. The RBL is inviting veterans, or their family or carers on their behalf, to come forward and register to join in the commemorations.”

Caro Howell MBE, IWM Director-General said: 

“As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, we are reminded that this devastating conflict will soon pass from living memory. Through ‘Letters to Loved Ones', we want a new generation of children across the UK to learn about the Second World War and its aftermath, through the stories and memories of their own families and the voices of those who were part of the fight against tyranny.

“2025 marks the 80th anniversaries of some of the most significant moments in our history. The anniversaries that we are marking this year serve as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made across the world, and the events that have shaped our lives ever since.”

Brendan Cox, co-founder of the Together Coalition which is helping to organise the community celebrations said:

“We spend a lot of our time focusing on the things where we might disagree. VE day 80 is 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.”