VE Day 80 – 8th May 2025 – A Shared Moment of Celebration
A message from Bruno Peek CVO OBE OPR, Pageantmaster
FOLLOWING on from the enormous success of D-Day 80 – 6th June 2024, in which we all
commemorated the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, through the
lighting of over one thousand beacons and five hundred lamp lights of peace throughout the United
Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK overseas territories that night, we are now focusing all
our efforts on the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of VE Day which marked the end of the war in
Europe and WWII as a whole on 8th May 1945, in a similar way.
On Thursday 8th May 2025 we are encouraging the lighting of Beacons and Lamp Lights of
Peace at 9.30pm, the raising of a unique VE Day flag at 9am and, where possible, holding parties of
celebration throughout the day in the streets, gardens at home, churches, villages, town halls, pubs,
clubs, hotels and all manner of locations throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of
Man and UK Overseas Territories.
Even though Thursday 8th May 2025 is not a public holiday, we encourage those with country
parks and streets that can be closed, along with those that have gardens to hold street and garden
parties decked in flags and bunting, dressing up infancy dress or uniform, along with those
communities that have town, village and community halls etc, to organise VE Day 80 parties within
them, decorating them in a similar fun way.
We also encourage care homes and children’s homes, hospitals, schools, pubs, hotels and
restaurants etc, to undertake similar events throughout the day in celebration of this important
Anniversary. This would be a great, and simple way for schools to take part, especially at lunch-time.
Four Pipers will be playing ‘Celebratum’ from the top of the Four Peaks at 12 noon on 8th May
which has been especially written for this historic occasion by by Stuart Liddell MBE. Piper Stuart
Liddell MBE will be playing this tune at Inveraray Castle Balmoral, and Piper Lady Jane Macrae will
also be undertaking it at 12 noon at Balmoral Castle that afternoon.
You can register your event here : VE Day 80
