National two-minute silence announced to mark VE Day anniversary
UK Government buildings and departments will remember those who fought with a silence at 12 noon on Thursday May 8 2025.
A national two-minute silence will be held to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the Government has announced.
UK Government buildings and departments will remember and thank those who fought with a silence at 12 noon on Thursday May 8 2025, with other organisations invited to follow suit, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.
VE Day commemorations will start on the May bank holiday on Monday May 5.
The Cenotaph will be dressed in Union flags and there will be a military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace and an RAF flypast over London.
On May 8, there will be a party at Horse Guards Parade shown live on BBC One.
Pubs and bars have been granted permission to stay open for longer to mark the anniversary.
Venues in England and Wales which usually close at 11pm will be able to keep serving for an extra two hours to celebrate.
Churches and cathedrals across the country will ring their bells as a collective act of thanksgiving at 6.30pm, echoing the sounds that swept across the country in 1945, the Church of England said.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has encouraged the public to get involved, saying the planned celebrations are a “chance for us to come together and celebrate our veterans and ensure their legacy of peace is passed on to future generations”.