VE Day and VJ Day: Commemorations for the 80th anniversaries
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, with a series of commemorative events planned.
Victory in Europe (VE Day), which took place on 8 May, marked the Allied victory in Europe, while Victory over Japan (VJ Day), on 15 August, marks the end of the war in the Far East.
The early May Bank Holiday saw the beginning of events to mark “VE and VJ Day 80”, with a series of national and local events and activities planned for what the government says is “an opportunity for the nation to come together to honour and pay tribute to the Second World War generation from across the UK and Commonwealth”.
Veterans will attend the events and Britons are being urged to participate in the celebrations as it “might be our last chance to thank” surviving veterans.
The Cenotaph in London’s Whitehall, the nation’s focal point of remembrance, was dressed in Union Flags for the duration of the four-day VE Day commemorations, echoing the 1920 unveiling of the monument to the fallen.
This briefing outlines the events marking VE Day 80 and the key commemorations planned for VJ Day 80, and will be updated as any further events are announced.
Victory in Europe DayA brief outline of the official and other key commemorative events is below.
More information about commemorative events is provided on the VE VJ Day 80 website and from local councils.
5 MayMilitary procession and flypast
The official commemorations began with a military procession from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.
More than 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, uniformed services and young people took part in the procession, which began when Big Ben strikes midday.
The King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, watched the procession, which was followed by a flypast of 23 current and historic military aircraft, including the Red Arrows. The public were invited to line the parade route.
Afterwards, there was a tea party in the gardens of Buckingham Palace for about 50 veterans, their families and other members of the wartime generation.
The government had published guidance on how to watch the VE Day procession and flypast (5 May 2025).
HMS Belfast street party
HMS Belfast, which fired some of the opening shots on D-Day in 1944 and is the most significant surviving warship of World War Two, hosted a street party on board.
Nationwide street parties
Communities across the UK held street parties, barbecues and community get togethers, echoing the celebrations held at the end of the war.
More information is available on local council websites.
6 MayTower of London ceramic poppies
An installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies went on show at the Tower of London, to “reflect on the lasting legacy of conflict”.
The ceramic poppies were part of the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red display in 2014, which was seen by more than five million people.
Historic Royal Palaces said the poppies “will pour across the lawn overlooked by the ancient White Tower, where the blood-red flowers will form a crater, with ripples flowing outwards”.
The installation can be seen as part of general admission to the Tower of London, although a small part of the display will be visible from the public footpath.
The ceramic poppies installation will close on 11 November, Armistice Day.
Historic landmarks
Several historic landmarks across the UK were lit up in the evening.
7 May Parliament Choir concertIn the evening, the Parliament Choir hosted a Victory in Europe Day 80th Anniversary Concert in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster.
The concert took place exactly 80 years after a newsflash announced that the following day would be Victory in Europe Day.
The theme of the event was peace and reconciliation and featured classical music from across Europe and America. The Parliament Choir were accompanied by Sinfonia Smith Square and the concert featured special guests and reflections on the announcement of peace 80 years ago.
8 May National Memorial ArboretumThe Royal British Legion hosted a VE Day tea party and service of commemoration within the grounds of the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
The tea party was a private event for World War Two veterans and their families, while the general public were welcome to attend the commemorative service in addition to the veterans and their families and those who had a connection to the war.
Seating for members of the public at the service of commemoration were made available on a first come first served basis after the ticketed guests are seated.
Service of remembranceA service at Westminster Abbey was both an act of shared remembrance and a celebration of the end of the war. It was a moment to give thanks and to honour a generation that showed extraordinary courage and resilience.
VE Day 80: Unofficial concertAn unofficial event at the Royal Albert Hall in London, organised by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, featured music, dance and first-hand stories of the wartime generation.
The Royal Albert Hall website provides an overview of the event: “The RAF Squadronaires, part of The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, will take the audience back in time with iconic 1940s favourites, while the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will perform the nation’s best loved classical anthems, both joined by guest vocalists.”
The event also looked ahead to the 80th anniversary of VJ Day in August.
VE Day 80: Official concertThe official VE Day 80 commemorations concluded with a concert at Horseguards Parade. The concert featured “stars of stage and screen and military musicians” and had a celebratory tone, reflecting how the nation rejoiced at the news of war ending 80 years earlier.
The concert was broadcast live on BBC One at 8pm and included performances, readings and poignant moments telling the story of VE Day and the nation’s reaction to the end of World War Two.
More than 12,500 people were in attendance, including a number of World War Two veterans. Tickets for the concert were allocated to people across the country via the networks of organisations connected to VE Day, including the Royal British Legion, British Evacuees Association and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. More than 2,500 young people including all 12 Uniformed Youth groups, Duke of Edinburgh ambassadors, #iwill ambassadors and Commonwealth Scholars also attended the concert.
Victory over Japan DayA brief outline of the official and other key VJ Day commemorative events is below. This will be updated as any further events are announced ahead of the anniversary.
More information about commemorative events is provided on the VE VJ Day 80 website.
15 AugustService of remembrance
A service will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in the Far East: “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.”
This national commemoration will host a tribute to veterans involving 400 members of the Armed Forces, the Red Arrows and historic aircraft from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring the historic Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircrafts.
The service will be broadcast live on BBC1 from midday. Although a ticketed event, members of the public visiting the Arboretum on the day are invited to observe the two-minute silence and watch the service on large screens at a nearby public viewing area.
Registration is now closed, but if any veteran who served or contributed to the campaigns in the Far East and Pacific would like to attend, they should email: remembranceEvents@britishlegion.org.uk.
Veterans attending will include Burma Star recipients, British Indian Army veterans and those involved in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, as well as Prisoners of War held across the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries who contributed to the war effort.