Overview

• The commemorations begin May 5 with a military procession in London featuring 1,300 armed forces personnel, Ukrainian troops, and a flypast of historic and modern aircraft.
• Actor Timothy Spall will recite Winston Churchill's 1945 VE Day speech outside Parliament Square at noon on May 5, marking the start of the events.
• King Charles and Queen Camilla will host a Buckingham Palace tea party for World War II veterans and members of the wartime generation on May 5.
• A display of 30,000 ceramic poppies will be unveiled at the Tower of London on May 6, symbolizing wartime sacrifices, alongside landmark illuminations across the UK.
• Nationwide community events, including street parties, church bell ringings, and local ceremonies, will culminate on May 8, the official VE Day anniversary.