70th anniversary of VE Day marked by weekend of events

Thousands of people gathered in Trafalgar Sqaure, London, to celebrate Allied victory over Germany and the end to WWII in 1945 Credit: PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images

A weekend of events have been planned across the country to mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day, starting with Church bells ringing out around Britain at 11am today.

Here are some of the key events happening this weekend:

Saturday

  • 11am - Cathedrals and churches across the UK will ring their bells in a sign of victory. The symbolic act is meant to signify the end to the years the bells hung in silence during WWII.

  • 6pm - VE Day 70: A party to remember. This star-studded concert, hosted by The Royal British Legion, will take place at Horse Guards Parade in London and will feature performances from stars including Pixie Lott and Katherine Jenkins.

  • Nightfall - Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square will be lit with V-shaped lights to mirror the searchlights that lit buildings on VE Day itself.

Sunday

  • 11am - Westminster Abbey service, attended by the Queen, will be held for veterans and their families.

  • 12pm onwards - Parties, picnics and commemorative events held across the country.

  • 12.30pm - Around 1000 veterans and 200 current military personnel will parade from Westminster Abbey along Whitehall to St James’s Park.

  • 1pm: The Red Arrows will make a flypast over central London, followed by Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire aircrafts which were used during the war.

  • Nightfall - Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square will be lit with V-shaped lights to mirror the searchlights that lit buildings on VE Day itself.