D-Day 80: Time you can watch Red Arrows and spectacular drone lightshow in Portsmouth at Southsea Common

As previously reported, Portsmouth will be at the centre of the UK’s D-Day commemorations with two huge ticketed events taking place on Southsea Common on June 5 - one in the daytime and one in the evening.

When can I watch the Red Arrows in Portsmouth?

The daytime event will feature famous faces, feature powerful testimonies from military personnel and D-Day veterans as well as musical performances by a military orchestra. It will also feature a flypast from the Red Arrows. According to notices issued by the Kings Harbour Master (KHM), it will take place at approximately 12.30pm.

A flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) was due to take place at about 11am, but this is no longer expected to take place in the wake of the Spitfire crash which killed RAF pilot Squadron Leader Mark Long.

While the major June 5 events on Southsea Common will only be accessible to ticket holders, the Red Arrows should be visible from outside the barricaded area. There will also be a six-gun salute in the harbour.

ALSO SEE: The Red Arrows: Diamond Season

“Spectacular” lightshow

The evening event will be a community vigil to fallen Allied soldiers who fought and died during D-Day operations and include a live broadcast from Bayeux War Cemetery in France where other commemorative events are taking place.

There will also be live music performances and moving testimony from those who were there and will include a stunning lightshow, calling to mind the treacherous sea crossing taken 80 years ago. The drone light display will take place off Southsea Common between 9pm and 10pm on June 5.

If you can’t wait until the big day, trail-runs of the light show will be carried out at the same time on the two nights prior to the event - on Monday, June 3 and Tuesday, June 4.

You can find a rundown of some of the day’s events on the Royal Navy website here.