VE Day 2025: Everything you need to know as RAF flypast route revealed

4 May 2025, 21:43 | Updated: 6 May 2025, 16:04

Monday will mark the beginning of four days of nationwide celebrations to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

A flypast and a military procession will take place in London on Monday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe as celebrations begin across the country.

The King will lead celebrations as the country pays tribute to the sacrifices made to achieve Allied victory in Europe.

Subject to weather, serviceability, and operational commitments, the flypast will begin 13:45 on Monday and will follow a military procession involving more than 1,300 members of the UK Armed Forces, uniformed services, and young people.

Viewing areas will be in place along the procession route on both sides of The Mall. Organisers have advised spectators to arrive early if they want to secure a spot along the procession route.

The procession

The procession will begin in Parliament Square when Big Ben strikes midday, and an actor will recite extracts from the iconic Winston Churchill VE Day speech.

It will see more than 1,300 members of the Armed Forces and youth groups march down Whitehall, through Admiralty Arch and up The Mall towards Buckingham Palace.

Representatives of the Ukrainian military, selected from the UK armed forces' training programme for Ukrainian recruits Operation Interflex, will also take part.

Actor Timothy Spall will open the celebrations in London on Monday when he recites some of Winston Churchill's victory speech from 1945.

The 68-year-old, whose roles include playing Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter film series, will read extracts from the speech in which Churchill told Britons: "This is not victory of a party or of any class.

The flypast

The full flypast will being at 1.45pm and see 23 aircraft, including the iconic Red Arrows and the Lancaster Bomber from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as they put on a spectacular show over the city.

It will also include a Voyager transport aircraft, a P8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft, Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets.

The planes are due to go over parts of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire and Oxfordshire.

The flypast route has been split into different zones, each with a time slot when airspace is restricted. The zones show the period of time when the planes are expected to be overhead:

Area A: North Sea, Suffolk and Norfolk, between 10.45am - 1.45pm

Area B: East Suffolk (Saxmundham) and Suffolk (East Bergholt), between 12.15pm - 1.10pm

Area C: Suffolk (East Bergholt) and Essex (Colchester), between 12.20pm - 1.10pm

Area D: Essex (Colchester and Witham), between 12.20pm - 1.10pm

Area E: Essex (Witham) and London City, between 12.25pm - 1.10pm

Area F: London City and London Heathrow, between 12.25pm - 1.10pm

Area G: Buckinghamshire (Denham) and Cheshire (Halton), between 12.45pm - 1.25pm

Area H: Cheshire (Halton) and Oxfordshire (Brize), between 12.45pm - 1.25pm

Area I: North west London, between 12.45pm - 1.25pm

Wing Commander Andrew Watson, Flypast Mission Commander, said: “We are very proud to be able to show the nation and His Majesty The King, our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion, our capability and present that as a fitting and appropriate tribute for the millions of people who served in the Second World War.

"It should be a good spectacle for the nation and the Commonwealth."

VE Day 80 street parties, picnics and community get togethers are being encouraged to take place across the country as part of the Great British Food Festival, led by the Together Coalition and the Big Lunch in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "VE Day 80 is a chance for us to come together and celebrate our veterans and ensure their legacy of peace is passed on to future generations.

"Whether by watching on TV or having a street party with neighbours, everyone can take part. This is one of the last chances we have to say thank you to this generation of heroes and it is right that we do just that."

Other celebrations and commemorations

From 9pm on Tuesday, hundreds of buildings across the country will be lit up to mark the big day, including the Palace of Westminster, the Shard, Lowther Castle in Penrith, Manchester Printworks, Cardiff Castle and Belfast City Hall.

On Thursday, a service at Westminster Abbey will begin with a national two-minute silence.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "This 80th anniversary is a moment of national unity.

"A time to celebrate that hard won peace, honour the memory of those who lost their lives, and remember the sacrifices made by so many to secure our freedom.

"Their legacy lives on today in how we stand together in defence of the values they fought for and which bind us together as a nation.

"This week, we come together to salute their service."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "Eighty years ago millions of people celebrated the end of the Second World War in Europe.

"This week, we will recreate this moment across towns and cities, in our homes, in pubs and on our streets.

"We must do all we can to ensure that the stories and memories of this period in our history are not forgotten.

"We must not forget the hardships, the heroics and the millions who lost their lives.

"We are here because of the sacrifices they made and the horrors they endured.

"This week, I urge the nation to come together and send a powerful message: we will remember them."