Fabulous VE Day 80 commemorations set to take place across Portsmouth despite city not being centre stage

The city was front and centre of the D-Day 80 commemorations last year as the primary location of the launch and organisation of the Normandy Landings, which led to the organisation of the ticketed event on Southsea Common last May attended by King Charles.

But this time round London will be the national focus on May 5 with a procession from Parliament Square past the Cenotaph, through Admiralty Arch and up The Mall to Buckingham Palace with young cadets from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force among those taking part.

At the same time there will also be a flypast by the Red Arrows and more than 20 current and historic military aircraft to mark Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) which is officially on 8 May, and marks the anniversary of when Germany officially surrendered to the Allies, effectively ending the fighting in Europe.

Despite the commemorations centring around the capital, Portsmouth will still be very much playing its part with 37 private street parties already arranged involving road closures over the first May bank holiday weekend. This will be in stark contrast to the socially-distanced VE Day 75 commemorations held during the 2020 covid pandemic.

Temporary VE Day plaques with street party images will also be appearing on lampposts in and around their original locations in the city

On top of this, there are also a number of events in and around the city over the May bank holiday weekend including a large event at Eastoke Seafront in Hayling Island.

On Sunday, May 11 the D-Day Story will also mark VE Day with a day of activities including singers, swing dance sessions and The D-Day Story's military jeep will be on site. There will also be a number of craft activities for children to take part in, from creating you own paper flowers to pinwheels and bunting.

Portsmouth City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said: "We're really looking forward to seeing the many colourful street parties taking place around the city to celebrate VE Day.

"To honour the 80th anniversary further, an exhibition of VE Day street party images from across the city and archive items will be displayed at Portsmouth History Centre in our Central Library.

"The D-Day Story is also hosting an immersive VE Day experience for visitors at the museum on 11 May, alongside a Victory in 80 Objects online exhibition."