What VE Day 2025 celebrations are happening across the UK this week?

Metro

06-05-2025

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After thousands flocked to Buckingham Palace to watch the red arrows flyover, Brits can look forward to more celebrations this week to marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
Events are set to take place all next week to celebrate the end of World War II in Europe.
A military procession took place from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace yesterday on Bank Holiday Monday, with the Royal Family taking to the balcony.
It featured a display of pageantry by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, showcasing ceremonial traditions of the British Armed Forces.
Winston Churchill's famous Victory Day speech was also recited as Big Ben struck noon.
The celebrations are honouring the moment Allied forces accepted Germany's surrender on May 8, 1945.
Military procession in central London
A troop march will be held on May 5 from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace, via the Mall, ending with a red arrows fly past.
Poppy display at the Tower of London
30,000 ceramic poppies will be installed at the Tower of London, with the Queen opening the display on May 6.
Victory in Europe Day Anniversary Concert
The Parliamentary Choir will hold a celebratory concert in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament on May 7, marking the moment the nation was first informed of Victory in Europe.
Beacons lit across the UK
2,500 beacons will be set alight at key locations across the country, from Tower Bridge in London to Bridport in Dorset and beyond.
VE Day celebrations began in Parliament Square, where Harry Potter icon Timothy Spall read out words from Winston Churchill's famous victory speech.
The 68-year-old actor, whose roles include Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Chicken Run, read extracts from the speech in which Churchill told Britons 'This is not victory of a party or of any class. It's a victory of the great British nation as a whole.'
A poignant moment followed, when the Commonwealth War Graves Torch for Peace will be passed from a young person to a 100-year-old Second World War veteran.
The event culminated in the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows roaring overhead, leaving behind them red, white, and blue smoke.
The King and Queen welcomed and members of the wartime generation at Buckingham Palace for a tea party.
There will also be an afternoon street party and an evening do at HMS Belfast, the most significant surviving Second World War warship.
Winston Churchill's family home, Chartwell in Kent is planning lots of fun activities and music to celebrate his role in the momentous day.
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The moving display of 30,000 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London, first installed to mark the centenary of the First World War in 2014, will return to the historic fortress.
The Queen will view the poppies when they go on display, with a small part of the installation visible for free to the public.
Historic landmarks across the country will also be lit up on the Tuesday evening.
A Victory in Europe Day Anniversary Concert will be held in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament, hosted by the Parliament Choir.
The performance will mark 80 years since a newsflash informed the nation that the next day would be VE Day.
This is the actual VE Day. A service will take place at Westminster Abbey, which will serve as both 'an act of shared remembrance and a celebration of the end of the war'.
A two minutes silence will be held across the country, led by UK government buildings and departments.
A private tea party will also be held for Second World War veterans and their families by the British Legion.
There's a good chance a street party will be taking place near you. Those with country parks, gardens, community halls and quiet roads are asked to unfold the chairs and tables and host a party.
And expect a lot of bell ringing, too. Cathedrals have been asked to ring their bells at 6.30pm in a united call to 'work for peace', explained Revd Jo Kelly-Moore, chair of the Association of English Cathedrals.
A concert will also take place at Horseguards Parade from 8pm to mark the end of commemorations.
More than 12,500 people will attend the event, including the King and Queen.
Pubs will also be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours, allowing revellers to celebrate the end of celebrations at 1am on the Friday morning.
Capping off May 8, 2,500 beacons will be set alight across the UK.
The fires will be lit around 9pm at focal points at various points in the country, including at London's Tower Bridge.
While there are no more official events being organised by the government, many local and community events are still scheduled for Friday and the weekend after VE Day.
A 1940s style dance will be roaring away in Wouldham, Rochester, while The Royal Irish Regiment will be holding a lively concert in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland on 10 May.
On the same day, the Veterans Memorial Garden in Glasgow wifollowed by a veterans parade. This will finish at the Lincoln Inn where there will be a buffet, music and raffle. More Trending
In the Yorkshire village of Catton, there will be a vintage-themed day featuring Second World War memorabilia and vehicles. A similar event is also set to take place in Keelby village hall, in Lincolnshire.
There is a handy website available to find all the closest VE Day events near to you.
The government has put together this web page to list 780 activities happening throughout the week of festivities.
There is even space to add your own event and get help on how to bring people together to celebrate.
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