VE Day 80

VE Day 80: Procession to follow historic London route to mark end of war in Europe

Armed Forces to mark VE Day with London procession and flypast

More than 1,300 members of the Armed Forces and uniformed services will be taking part in a major military procession through central London on Monday 5 May, marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe – or VE Day.

The event will begin in Parliament Square as Big Ben strikes midday, with an actor delivering extracts from Winston Churchill's historic VE Day speech before the parade steps off.

Led by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the procession will include members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force – alongside cadets from all three services and uniformed youth organisations.

VE Day marks the moment the Second World War ended in Europe, when Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered to Allied forces in 1945.

After nearly six years of conflict, celebrations broke out across the UK and Europe, with crowds gathering in London and King George VI addressing the nation.

The event will begin in Parliament Square as Big Ben strikes midday — The VE Day parade route on Monday 5 May

Commonwealth personnel will also be taking part in the march, which will move down Whitehall and past the Cenotaph, before passing through Admiralty Arch and heading up The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.

Crowds of spectators are expected to line the route, which ends at the palace with a dramatic aerial tribute.

The finale will feature a flypast by the Red Arrows, supported by RAF Typhoons and F-35s, as well as other modern aircraft as historic warplanes from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Three days later, on Thursday 8 May – the date of the original 1945 VE Day – a special service will be held at Westminster Abbey.

That evening, a commemorative concert will take place at Horse Guards Parade, with stars of stage and screen telling the story of the end of the war in Europe.