VE Day 80: Red Arrows and Military Aircraft to Headline Huge London Flypast
VE Day 80: London Prepares for a Big Tribute
London is bracing for a landmark event as the city commemorates the 80th anniversary of VE Day on Monday, 5 May 2025. The celebrations aren’t just another annual ritual—they mark a rare moment where military tradition, national pride, and history collide right in the heart of the capital. This year promises something truly special: a huge military procession and a breathtaking Red Arrows flypast, drawing eyes from around the country.
The day kicks off with fanfare outside Parliament at noon, but it’s not just politicians and soldiers taking center stage. British actor Timothy Spall will step up to deliver Winston Churchill’s famous VE Day speech, injecting some drama and nostalgia as crowds listen to those stirring words echo against the stone and steel of Westminster.
The event quickly becomes a living history lesson. Air Cadet Warrant Officer Emmy Jones will pass the Commonwealth War Graves Torch for Peace to Alan Kennett, a remarkable 100-year-old WWII veteran. It’s a symbolic handover connecting generations, reminding everyone that the sacrifices made back then aren’t lost in dusty books but carried forward by real people.
As the procession moves from Parliament Square, it heads past distinct London icons: the Union Flag-draped Cenotaph—a moving symbol of remembrance—and the grand Admiralty Arch. You’ll see the clattering precision of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, leading the march in all their finery. More than 1,300 Armed Forces members will take part, their boots setting a steady rhythm along Whitehall, watched by crowds and beamed into homes via broadcast crews from BBC and Sky News.
Red Arrows Flypast: Crowds and Royal Family Look To The Skies
Just when you think the spectacle has peaked, a new crescendo steals the show. At exactly 1:45pm, as the procession reaches Buckingham Palace, the skies above The Mall erupt with the roar of aircraft engines. Twenty-three military planes—including the world-famous Red Arrows, known for their scarlet streamers and pinpoint formations—sweep low over central London. All eyes turn upwards, with the royal family, including King Charles and Queen Camilla, watching from the Queen Victoria Memorial.
If you plan to be there, public viewing areas stretch right down The Mall and along Whitehall, so no matter where you stand, you’ll feel the engines and hear the crowd gasp as red, white, and blue trails slice across the sky. If you’re outside central London, don’t worry: the aircraft will be visible in counties like Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire as they peel away west and northwest after their dramatic city-center pass.
The broadcast starts at 10am, but the genuine spectacle and main events unfold from midday through early afternoon. BBC and Sky are promising full coverage, so even those nowhere near London can soak up the atmosphere from their living rooms.
Anniversaries like this don’t come around often, and the scale of the flypast, the gravity of the military procession, and the presence of so many veterans and royals make this a singular way for London—and the UK—to remember the moment World War II ended in Europe. The combination of old and young, ceremony and spectacle, means the VE Day 80th anniversary will leave a strong impression long after the last plane disappears over the horizon.