Will the UK get a new bank holiday for the 80th VE Day celebrations?

Four days of celebrations are planned, the government has confirmed

The red arrows fly over Westminster to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, 2020 (AFP via Getty Images)

Later this year, the UK will be marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Four days of celebrations are planned for this historic VE Day, beginning as part of the early May Bank Holiday.

The government has announced that the events will see a military procession and flypast in London, as the Cenotaph is draped in Union flags. Meanwhile, street parties are set to be held across the country over all four days.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “The 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day are important opportunities for communities to come together to pay tribute to all those who served in the Second World War and to reflect on the values that they were fighting for.”

The celebrations kick off Monday 5 May, as the Red Arrows take to London’s skies, a street party begins on HMS Belfast, and communities across the country are invited to spend their bank holiday marking the occasion.

The next day, an installation of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies with be placed in an installation at the Tower of London, with landmarks all over the UK lit up in the evening.

On 7 May, the Parliament Choir will host a Victory in Europe Day Anniversary Concert in the Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster – marking 80 years since the newsflash of victory in Europe.

Finally, on Thursday 8 May, a service will take place at Westminster Abbey followed by a concert at the Horseguards Parade which over 10,000 people are expected to attend.

Will the UK get a 4-Day Bank Holiday for VE day?

Despite the four days of celebrations that are planned, there are not set to be any extra bank holiday dates announced.

Because of this, the bank holiday dates for 2025 will remain the same as in previous years. These are:

• Good Friday - April 18
• Easter Monday - April 21
• Early May - May 5
• Spring - May 26
• Summer - August 25
• Christmas Day - December 25
• Boxing Day - December 26

Why is it not a bank holiday?

The decision was confirmed by Downing Street in November, with a spokesperson for the prime minister saying that the celebrations “do not include an additional bank holiday.”

They added: "We we will look to use the existing May Day bank holiday for commemorative events. We are committed to commemorating these nationally important occasions appropriately, which is why we have announced more than £10m to mark them.”

The reason for the decision is because there is an “important balance to be struck,” he said, given the “impacts for businesses, services and the broader economy, which need to be taken into account.”