Join events to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day

The historic anniversary takes place on Thursday 8 May 2025 and celebrations are being planned across the country. Harborough District Council is encouraging residents to take part in local events which include: 

Saturday 3 May (8am to 4pm) and Sunday 4 May (10am to 3pm) 

A 1940s weekend event will take place at the award-winning Harborough Market, including a period style singer, a DJ, vintage trader stalls and classic vehicles. Activities are also being planned for the town square throughout the weekend. 

Thursday 8 May  

• At 10am there will be a VE Day flag raising ceremony and proclamation taking place near The Symington Building/ Old Grammar School in Market Harborough. Everyone is welcome to attend. 
• From 7pm to 10pm there will be a beacon lighting event at Coventry Road Recreation Ground in Lutterworth. The beacon will be lit at 9.30pm and there will be entertainment from Lutterworth Town Band and 1940's trio The Boswell Project. A bar, BBQ and other hot food will be available with fun games for the children and goodie bags.  
• In Market Harborough at 7.30pm a commemorative service of thanksgiving will take place at St Dionysius Church on the High Street. This will be followed immediately by an Act of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial starting at 8.30pm. The public are strongly encouraged to attend both events. Please arrive at least ten minutes before the start time.    

Sunday 11 May from 10am 

A VE Day Anniversary Party in the Park will take place from 10am at Welland Park. 

The council will be sharing information about community events being held across the district on its website www.harborough.gov.uk/ve-day so if you are a community group, school, parish/town council, parish meeting or any other organisation that is organising an event which is open to the public please send details to communications@harborough.gov.uk for inclusion on the district council website. 

Organisers may also find the council’s events toolkit helpful as it contains lots of information about what needs to be done to run a safe public event. Please note that Leicestershire County Council’s deadline for road closures applications for events and street parties has passed. 

The council offers a range of support and advice for regulars, veterans and volunteer reservists of the armed forces along with information about how service personnel can save money from offers and discounts that are available. 

John Richardson, Chief Executive of Harborough District Council, said: “VE Day is a national time of celebration, reflection and remembrance, as we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the six years of terrible conflict and the loss of so many service personnel and civilians. 

“At Harborough District Council, we are rightly proud of our Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award and the work we do through our Armed Forces Officer and our Elected Member Armed Forces Champion to support service personnel, and they will remain at the forefront of our minds as we take part in the VE Day commemorations. I hope many of our residents will be able to attend the events in our district to mark this important day in our nation’s history.”