Together, through a series of national and local events, we will commemorate and celebrate the VE and VJ Day 80th anniversaries, while also showing our gratitude to the men, women and children who dedicated their lives to the war effort.
These commemorations will also be an opportunity to honour our living Second World War veterans. It will be a time for us to come together to listen to their stories and reflect on their values, service and selflessness across our nation, that led to the Allied victory.
As it was in 1945, the heart of the VE Day celebrations will be focused on commemorating in our communities with the 5th of May being dedicated to nationwide community celebrations.
Four days of celebrations will then mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe in May.
There are many ways you can get involved with VE and VJ Day. Here are some of the things you can do and ways you can find out more:
Stay up to date with VE and VE Day 80 commemorations
Plan and host a Great British Food Festival on Monday 5th May
Celebrate our freedom by sharing food together. This could be a small gathering with friends, a Big Lunch street party with neighbours, a food festival in your community or even a BBQ.
With the launch of The Big Lunch Guide to Bringing People Together, full of event planning resources and tips, craft activities and conversation prompts for communities hosting local celebrations, planning your event has never been easier.
The Big Lunch Guide to Bringing People Together
Guides and templates from The Big Lunch to help you put on a fabulous event
Our Shared Story: help the next generation learn about VE Day
Our Shared Story is a collection of educational resources to support young people to engage with VE and VJ Day 80th commemorations, both inside and outside the classroom. We want every school child in the country to have the opportunity to connect with the stories of the end of the Second World War.
Sign up to download the education starter pack to understand the range of opportunities for schools to participate in VEVJ Day 80: Our Shared Story. Whether you are planning a school-wide assembly, classroom discussion, street party, or creative project, you’ll have access to adaptable resources to create a meaningful and educational commemoration of VE Day.
Tip Top Towns: share how your community is coming together for VE Day 80
Whether you live in a town, village or city, we’re encouraging the public, volunteer networks and community groups to join together ahead of Monday 5 May to take part in activities that will get your area ready for VE Day 80.
From making your own VE Day 80 decorations to joining a local community group to plant flowers in communal gardens, we want to hear from you on how you are getting in the VE Day spirit.
Discover your Second World War history
You can use these online resources to discover your local and family Second World War histories and connections:
Share your Second World War history
In partnership with Imperial War Museums, Letters to Loved Ones invites you to get involved, by sharing historical letters from your VE and VJ Day generation relatives.
On social media
Share your Second World War stories, family histories and messages of remembrance on social media. Use #VE80, #VJ80 and #Victory80 and follow the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to join the conversation now.
Find your local memorial
You can use these resources to find out more about memorials near you:
- IWM’s War Memorials Register allows you to search over 100,000 UK war memorials and the names of more than 1.5 million people. To search for your local war memorials type in the name of your village, town or city and click search. You can narrow down the results by using filters which include, location, war commemorated and memorial type.
- Find your nearest Commonwealth War Graves – The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cares for over 170,000 war graves across 13,000 locations in the UK and Northern Ireland. From beautifully maintained cemeteries reminiscent of those on the Western Front to dedicated war grave plots in public cemeteries and individual graves in local churchyards, all are searchable on the CWGC website.
- You can also discover some of the personal stories behind the names and submit your own on CWGC’s For Evermore platform.
If you find out more about your family’s history or your local community’s contribution and would like to share what you’ve learned, use #VE80, #VJ80 and #Victory80 or email us at vevjday80@dcms.gov.uk
VE and VJ Day events and in your home
Use our dedicated toolkit for resources and branding for your activity, including the official logos. We’ll be sharing social media graphics, posters to print and personalise and fun worksheets for the kids to colour in.
Learn more about the history of VE & VJ Day
- The Royal British Legion’s Teaching Remembrance Learning programme supports young people across the UK to learn about who, why and how we remember with free resources and online events for young people and their teachers, youth groups and families. In 2025, the RBL will be helping young people to remember VE and VJ Day with a special online exploration of stories from the end of the Second World War, Q&A session and a range of supporting learning resources for Primary, Secondary and Further Education pupils.
- Browse UK Parliament’s WWII historical and educational resources as well as information about Parliamentarians and the roles they played in the Second World War.
