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UK Extends Pub Hours for VE Day 80th Anniversary Celebrations

Pubs nationwide will stay open until 1am on May 8, marking the culmination of four days of commemorative events honoring wartime sacrifices and fostering community celebration.

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Opening hours for pubs that close at 11pm has been extended by two hours for May 8 and 9

Overview

  • The UK government has confirmed a two-hour extension to pub licensing hours on May 8, allowing venues to serve until 1am to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
  • The extended hours align with a four-day program of national events, including processions, flypasts, concerts, and the UK’s largest veterans’ tea party.
  • Industry leaders, including Michael Kill of the Night Time Industries Association and Kate Nicholls of UK Hospitality, have welcomed the move as both a tribute to history and a boost for the struggling hospitality sector.
  • The Licensing Act 2003 enables such extensions for occasions of exceptional national significance, as previously seen during the Euro 2024 final and King Charles’ coronation.
  • VE Day commemorations begin on May 5 with a military procession and RAF flypast, culminating on May 8 with a televised concert at Horse Guards Parade attended by 10,000 people.