Government unveils plans for special UK Bank Holiday this year
Plans are underway to honour the ‘Greatest Generation’ with a four-day celebration—and here’s everything you need to know.
Victory in Europe Day, known more commonly as VE Day, is celebrated every year on May 8, the day the Allies formally accepted Germany’s surrender during WWII in 1945.
2025 marks 80 years since the devastating war concluded, and apparently plans are in motion for a big, four-day blowout.
According to Brendan Cox, co-founder of the Together Coalition, which is organising the VEDay80 community campaign, this year’s Bank Holiday events will offer UK dwellers 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’.
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Gov.uk stipulates that the proposed celebrations are expected to start on Monday 5 May and will include the Cenotaph memorial in Whitehall, London, dressed in Union Jack Flags.
This is a silent tribute to the nearly 70,000 British civilians and 384,000 soldiers who died during the Second World War.
On the same day, a military procession will move from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace.
The Mirror reports King Charles III, other senior members of the Royal Family, and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are set to be involved.
This procession will be followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft, including the Red Arrows.
It’s also said that street parties, like those that took place eight decades ago when British troops first returned from the front, are also expected to be held throughout the country.
The first day of events will include a party onboard the surviving warship, HMS Belfast, which is moored between Tower Bridge and London Bridge.
The ship fired some of the opening shots on D-Day in 1944 and is considered the ‘most significant’ surviving WWII warship.
On May 6, The Tower of London will host the Ceramic Poppies display, loaned from the Imperial War Museum’s collection.
Unlike 2014’s installation, this time the Ceramic Poppies will be within the walls of the Tower of London, the Londonist scribes.
However, a small section of the display, which will resemble a ‘wound’, will be visible to the public for free.
"We hope that this new display will provide an opportunity to reflect on the impact of war not just on military personnel, but Londoners and people across the country,” said Tom Piper, who is overseeing the installation.
“Once again, it will be installed in a place which is an enduring symbol of strength and survival, which has stood, wounded but resilient throughout London's turbulent history.”
On May 7, the Parliament Choir is expected to host an anniversary concert in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster.
This is to commemorate the newsflash announcement on the evening of May 7, 1945, marking the following day as the first-ever VE Day.
On the milestone itself (May 8), it’s thought that around 10,000 people will be able to attend a concert at Horseguards Parade.
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’, writes the UK government.
A memorial service is also expected to take place at Westminster Abbey on VE Day.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said this year's anniversary offers ‘important opportunities for communities to come together’.
“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,” she added.
If you want to know more, then a dedicated interactive website has been launched with latest information at ve-vjday80.gov.uk
Topics: Community, Holiday, UK News, History, Royal Family
Ella Scott