VE Day 2025: Spectacular Flypasts and London Concerts Across the UK

Across the nation, street parties, barbecues, and community gatherings will take place as the country commemorates the 80th anniversary. Victory in Europe (VE) Day .

It is anticipated that thousands of individuals will fill the sidewalks along the main roads in the city center. London As activities unfold throughout the upcoming week to mark the occasion, after World War II ended in Europe.

The festivities are marking the occasion when Allied forces agreed to the surrender. Germany 's capitulation on May 8, 1945.

The country’s celebrations will begin on Bank Holiday Monday with a rousing speech from one of Britain’s finest actors and a military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace .

The event will include a presentation of grand spectacle by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment along with The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, highlighting the ceremonial customs of the United Kingdom's military forces.

The main VE Day 2025 celebrations

Military parade in downtown London

A military parade will take place on May 5th. Whitehall to Buckingham Palace , through the mall, concluding with flying red arrows passing by.

Poppies exhibit at the Tower of London

30,000 porcelain poppies will be placed at the Tower of London, where the Queen will inaugurate the exhibit on May 6.

Anniversary Concert for Victory in Europe Day

The Parliamentary Choir is set to host a commemorative performance in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament on May 7, celebrating the instance when the country learned about Victory in Europe Day for the very first time.

Flares ignited throughout 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.

The parade will start at Parliament Square, featuring a musical performance.

Winston Churchill As soon as Big Ben chimes twelve times at midday, listen to his iconic VE Day address. Red Arrows flypast will occur at the Mall at 1:45 pm, with the King and Queen other members of the royal household and the prime minister Keir Starmer in attendance.

VE Day 2025 commemorations in the UK

Monday May 5

The VE Day festivities will kick off at Parliament Square, with actor Timothy Spall—known for his role in Harry Potter—reciting lines from Winston Churchill’s iconic victory address.

The 68-year-old actor, known for his parts in "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" and "Chicken Run," will recite excerpts from the speech where Churchill declared to Britons, “This is not a triumph of any political group or social class; rather, it’s a win for the entire mighty British nation.”

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A poignant moment will follow, when the Commonwealth War Graves Torch for Peace will be passed from a young person to a 100-year-old Second World War veteran.

Union Jacks will be draped over the Cenotaph and a military procession will take place from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace , via the Mall.

This procession will be watched by the King and Queen, along with other members of the royal family and the prime minister.

Modern fighter jets will take part in the fly past that follows alongside historic Second World War-era aircraft.

The event will culminate in the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows roaring overhead, leaving behind them red, white, and blue smoke.

Street parties will be held across the country on the bank holiday.

King and Queen will personally host a tea party at Buckingham Palace to greet war veterans and those from the World War II era.

The event will feature an afternoon street party along with an evening gathering at HMS Belfast, which stands as the most important remaining Second World War battleship.

Celebrations nationwide feature an outdoor music festivity at Witton Park in Blackburn along with a VE Day picnic in the Shropshire town of Caven Arms.

The Wrentham Brass Band will likewise perform Second World War music in Norfolk.

Chartwell in Kent, Winston Churchill’s family residence, is gearing up for numerous enjoyable events and musical performances to commemorate his significant contribution to that historic occasion.

Tuesday May 6

The rotating exhibit featuring 30,000 clay poppies at the Tower of London, initially set up in 2014 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the First World War, will be returning to this iconic fortress.

When the poppies are put on show, the Queen will get a chance to see them. A portion of this exhibit will also be accessible without charge to everyone who visits.

Famous historical sites throughout the nation will be illuminated on Tuesday night.

Wednesday May 7

An anniversary concert for Europe Day will take place in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament, organized by the Parliament Choir.

The performance will mark 80 years since a newsflash informed the nation that the next day would be VE Day.

Thursday May 8

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.

Expect plenty of bell ringing as well. To "call for peace," cathedrals have been requested to toll their bells at 6:30 pm in unison, as clarified by Revd Jo Kelly-Moore, who chairs the Association of English Cathedrals.

A concert will be held at Horseguards Parade starting at 8 pm to conclude the commemorative events.

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.

Concluding on May 8, approximately 2,500 beacons will be lit throughout the UK.

The bonfires will be ignited around 9 pm at key locations across the nation, with one of them being set alight at London’s Tower Bridge.

Friday August 15 to Sunday 11 May

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 at Glasgow Followed by a veterans parade. It will conclude at the Lincoln Inn with a buffet, live music, and a raffle.

In the quaint village of Catton located in Yorkshire, an upcoming vintage-style day will showcase artifacts and vehicles from the Second World War era. An analogous event is scheduled to occur at Keelby Village Hall in Lincolnshire as well.