Victory in Europe and Japan: 80th Anniversaries

Thursday 13th March 2025 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Government have announced plans to mark the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day with a series of events and celebrations. It is my intention that we, as a nation, come together to mark this pivotal moment in our shared history.

Victory in Europe Day, which takes place on Thursday 8 May 2025, marks the allied victory in Europe. The news resulted in millions celebrating the end of the war, with street parties, dancing and singing across the country. The war in the far east did not end until 15 August 1945, with Victory over Japan Day.

The second world war touched every aspect of life and had a devastating impact on those who experienced it, and for the generations after. From the sailors, soldiers and aviators who fought, to the children who were evacuated, and all those who stepped into essential roles on the home front, we owe it to the second world war generation, who 80 years ago fought for our freedom and paid the ultimate sacrifice in giving generations lasting peace.

Through a series of national and local events, we will unite to pay tribute to the millions of people across the UK and the Commonwealth who served in the second world war. VE and VJ Day 80 will be an opportunity for celebration, as it was across the streets of Britain in 1945, but also of commemoration, as it will be one of the last opportunities to honour our living second world war veterans. There is also a younger generation for whom the events of the second world war—the sacrifices made, and the reasons for them—seem like distant history. It will be a time for us to come together to listen to their stories and reflect on their values that ensured the allied victory: service and selflessness across our nation.

The Government have announced a programme of events and activities that will mark these anniversaries and reach into and connect communities across the country through educational outreach, and cultural and creative activity. This will include a military procession and flypast on Monday 5 May, a Westminster Abbey service and a VE Day concert on Thursday 8 May, and a service at the National Arboretum in partnership with the Royal British Legion to commemorate VJ Day on 15 August. I am pleased today to announce further details of a truly inclusive national engagement programme that will complement this series of events, and I am delighted to be working with the devolved Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure that the commemorations are UK-wide. There are many exciting ways that Members of both Houses of Parliament, and members of the public, can get involved.

To ensure that all communities across the UK feel engaged in the stories of VE and VJ Day, the Government have already announced plans for UK-wide street parties on Monday 5 May through the Great British food festival, supported by the Big Lunch and the Together Coalition. Street parties, BBQs and community get-togethers will be held across the UK, made easy with the launch of the Big Lunch guide to bringing people together, which is full of event planning resources and tips, craft activities and conversation prompts for communities hosting local celebrations. Funding has been made available, through the National Lottery community fund’s Awards For All programme, for organisations to bid for grants to host events, activities and projects this year for communities to come together.

In order to prepare for those events, I am delighted to announce the introduction of “Tip Top Towns”, where we are inviting communities across the UK—whether town, village or city—to share how they are coming together for VE Day 80. We want the public, volunteer networks and community groups to take part in activities that will get them in the community spirit ready for 5 May, whether that be preparing community gardens, hosting craft events to create street party decorations, sprucing up their local areas or encouraging children to draw pictures to put in their windows. The public are invited to share their pictures of activity on our webpage and across social media using the #VE80 hashtag, with VE Day certificates available to all who participate. Young people will be at the heart of this, including uniformed youth groups, with a special VE Day commemorative badge being introduced by the Scouts.

The value of these commemorations lies in their ability to connect generations. It is vital that our young people understand the impact of the second world war, and that they have the opportunity to hear the stories of our living second world war veterans at first hand before it is too late. This is an opportunity for us to come together, to listen to the stories of those who lived through this period and to reflect on the values that secured the allied victory.

The Government have announced a number of new ways young people will be able to engage with veterans’ stories as part of the VEVJ Day 80 commemorations. It is my strong commitment that every young person has the opportunity to learn about and connect with the stories of their forebears, ensuring that the sacrifices and experiences of those who served are remembered and passed on to future generations through “VE Day 80: Our Shared Story”.

As part of the Government’s national engagement programme, the National Theatre is developing a new production and film, titled “The Next Morning”, which will focus on the hopes, dreams and ambitions of young people after the war and what that means for young people today. Written by James Graham, the fantastic writer of “Dear England”, it will offer a poignant opportunity for young people to really consider what the end of the second world war means for their own lives and their own ambitions.

The Imperial War Museums are also launching today a new initiative, “Letters to Loved Ones”, which will invite school children to explore their own family histories to find stories from the war and share them. This will culminate in a joint event at Imperial War Museum North on Wednesday 7 May, alongside the National Theatre.

To supplement this activity, a brand-new collection of educational resources to support young people’s engagement with VE and VJ Day 80, both inside and outside the classroom, will be developed. “VE Day 80: Our Shared Story” will include a range of resources, including the Royal British Legion’s “I’ll Remember —Discovering the Stories of VE and VJ Day 80”, the Imperial War Museum’s “Learning from Letters”, and Atlantic Productions’ new web-based augmented reality experience that brings moments from VE day to life—“VE Day 80: Immersive”.

In this 80th anniversary year, we must remember that while VE Day brought an end to the European war, the war continued to play out in Asia until Victory over Japan Day on 15 August. It is vital that we remember and honour those soldiers who continued to fight and to sacrifice, and within this we must not forget the hugely significant role played by the Commonwealth in allied victory. I am hugely grateful to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Imperial War Museums for all they are doing to work with us to ensure that the stories of VJ Day are preserved and honoured for future generations.

I am pleased to announce that the Commonwealth war graves will be undertaking a brand-new UK and international tour, “For Evermore”. A mobile exhibition, it will travel across the UK and the globe to the Pacific, bringing the stories of the second world war to life. Their brand-new app, “For Evermore”, will be updated to offer interactive tours of key Commonwealth war grave sites, allowing the public to explore history and connect with personal stories. At the heart of the tour will be the Torch of Peace—an enduring symbol that honours those who gave their lives, the importance of preserving their legacy, and a baton to share and pass stories to future generations.

In an increasingly uncertain and fragmented world, this anniversary has never been more important. It is only by learning from conflicts such as the second world war and listening to their devastating effects from those who experienced them that we bring the realities of conflict to life. We must ensure that their stories live on not just in books or paper, but in the hearts and minds of future generations. On this anniversary, we reaffirm our shared commitment to preserving the memory of the men and women across the UK and Commonwealth who served and sacrificed.

I look forward to seeing the exciting and creative ways in which communities choose to mark the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day this year. Together, we will be able to make sure the stories and legacies of those who gave their lives will always have the same profound impact, as we continue to tell them to the generations to come.

The Department would welcome the support of colleagues across both Houses.

[HCWS520]