VE Day: When is VE Day? When is the Red Arrows flypast? When is the two-minute silence? What is VE Day?

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, hence Victory in Europe - or VE - Day.

What is VE Day?

VE Day is the day when the Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that fighting with Nazi Germany had ceased. After years of tensions, the conflict officially began on on September 1, 1939 when Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland, which sparked Britain and France to declare war.

After more than five-and-a-half years of fighting and privation, on May 8 1945 Churchill gave a speech in which he said: “My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left all alone against the most tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year.

“There we stood, alone. Did anyone want to give in? The lights went out and the bombs came down. But every man, woman and child in the country had no thought of quitting the struggle. London can take it. So we came back after long months from the jaws of death, out of the mouth of hell, while all the world wondered. When shall the reputation and faith of this generation of English men and women fail?

“I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we’ve done and they will say ‘do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be-unconquered’. Now we have emerged from one deadly struggle-a terrible foe has been cast on the ground and awaits our judgment and our mercy.”

What happened on VE Day in 1945?

British people took to the streets to celebrate the Prime Minister’s announcement that fighting had finished, and together they sang, danced and enjoyed food and drink. In London, people dressed in red, white, and blue, and gathered outside Buckingham Palace, and the royal family appeared on the balcony to welcome the crowds.

Was VE Day the end of the Second World War?

No. Although Nazi Germany had surrendered, fighting continued in the Far East against Japan, which would not capitulate until the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August that year. VJ Day is August 15.

What is happening this year for VE Day?

Actor Timothy Spall will open VE Day 80th anniversary 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 before a military procession and flypast over the capital.

Normandy veteran Alan Kennett, 100, will formally start the procession after being handed the Commonwealth War Graves’ Torch For Peace by air cadet Warrant Officer Emmy Jones. The procession 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.

The King, the Queen, the Prime Minister and Second World War veterans will be on a platform on the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace. Later, members of the Royal Family will watch the fly past from the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

The events on bank holiday Monday mark the beginning of four days of celebration across the nation up until Thursday May 8, exactly 80 years since Victory in Europe was declared.

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.”

From 9pm on Tuesday, hundreds of buildings across the country will be lit up to mark the 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, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

There will be a party at Horse Guards Parade shown live on BBC One.

Pubs and bars have been granted permission to stay open for longer to mark the anniversary. Venues in England and Wales which usually close at 11pm will be able to keep serving for an extra two hours to celebrate.

When is the VE Day Red Arrows flypast?

The Red Arrows will fly over London at about 1.45pm on Monday, as part of a convoy of military planes that will also include a Voyager transport aircraft, a P8 Poseidon surveillance craft, a Typhoon, and F-35 fighter jets.

The flypast will not just be visible in London - large parts of East Anglia and the south will also be able to see its route, according to military-airshows.co.uk. It will take off from RAF Waddington at 1.05pm and be in Bournemouth for about 2.06pm, according to the latest itinerary.

When is the two-minute silence for VE Day?

A national two-minute silence will be held to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day at midday on Thursday, May 8. The government has said its departments will be observing the silence and has invited other organisations to follow suit, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.