Events are taking place throughout the UK to commemorate the 70th anniversary of VE day, from 8 – 10 May, including the lighting of 100 beacons across the country, street parties and educational events, the illumination of historic buildings such as Blackpool Tower, and the ringing of church bells country wide on 9 May together with special thanksgiving services and ceremonies.
The Ministry of Defence writes:
Details of the weekend are announced including the news that the world famous Red Arrows of the Royal Air Force have been confirmed to make a flypast with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight over Central London. The Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square, which were floodlit on that memorable day in 1945, will be lit up once again with V-shaped lights over 8-10 May.
People up and down the country are preparing for a memorable weekend of activities to mark the historic occasion, which will involve veterans and serving members of the armed forces, schools and local communities, musicians and stars of stage and screen.
Huge celebrations throughout the weekend will pay homage to the extraordinary generation who secured Victory in Europe.
Friday 8 May – VE Day- At 3pm a Service of Remembrance will be held at the Cenotaph, coinciding with a national two-minute silence, to be televised on BBC One. A beacon will be lit at the Tower of London as part of a simultaneous nationwide event at 9:32pm. Locations that were floodlit on VE Day 70 years ago will be lit up with special V-shaped lights, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday 9 May- At 11am across the UK, churches and cathedrals will ring their bells as a nationwide mark of celebration.
In the evening, thousands of people will attend a Royal British Legion concert produced by Live Nation and the BBC. The star-studded 1940s themed ‘Party to Remember’ will be held at Horse Guards Parade Ground. Broadcast on BBC One, the event will feature performances from acts including Status Quo, Pixie Lott and Katherine Jenkins.
Sunday 10 May- A Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, attended by Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, Members of The Royal Family, and up to 1,000 veterans and their families. Representatives of Allied Nations and Commonwealth countries who fought alongside Britain in the conflict will also attend.
Afterwards, a parade of over 2,000 Service personnel, veterans and their guests will march from Westminster Abbey to Horse Guards Parade, passing the balcony in Whitehall where Winston Churchill appeared before the crowds on VE Day after his famous speech to mark Victory in Europe.
The world-famous Red Arrows will make a flypast over Central London, following a flypast of historic aircraft from the Royal Air Force – including the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft of the famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The service and parade will be broadcast on BBC One.
Afterwards, veterans who have taken part in the service and parade will be invited to a reception in St James’s Park hosted by The Royal British Legion. There will also be public entertainment in the park over the afternoon.
View the news release and find out more about events
