Map shows VE Day 2025 parade route through central London

May 11, 2025 Europe News views: 11

The procession will go past some of London’s biggest landmarks

London is pulling out all the stops to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a military procession past some of London’s biggest landmarks.

A parade,beginning in Westminster,promises to be the main event of the day,with thousands of people packing the streets to watch.

Travellers on the London Underground today are being warned to stay away from two stations at certain times as people flock to VE Day events.

VE Day celebrations will begin in Parliament Square,where Harry Potter icon Timothy Spall will read out words from Winston Churchill’s famous victory speech.

Military bands took part in an early-morning rehearsal for the big event (Picture: PA Wire)

Union Jacks will be draped over the Cenotaph and a military procession will take place from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace,via the Mall.

This procession will be watched by the King and Queen,along with other members of the royal family and the prime minister.

Modern fighter jets will take part in the fly past that follows alongside historic Second World War-era aircraft.

It’s expected that Westminster station will be busiest between 9am and 11am,as spectators arrive to watch the procession leave Parliament Square after Big Ben chimes for midday.

TfL suggests passengers who don’t want to get caught up could travel to Waterloo or Embankment stations instead.

The parade will then head along Whitehall,past Downing Street and towards Trafalgar Square,before turning left along the Mall in the direction of Buckingham Palace.

The procession will end on the Mall with thousands watching on (Picture: Getty Images)

To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub.

Once that section of the day comes to an end,TfL says Green Park will be busy between 1pm and 3pm as people head for the nearest station to the royal residence.

Victoria and Bond Street stations might be a better option for a more comfortable journey,the public transport body suggests.

Around 1,300 members of the Armed Forces will be taking part in today’s procession,including representatives of the Royal Navy,the Royal Marines,the British Army and the Royal Air Force.

The event will kick off with much-loved actor Timothy Spall reciting extracts from Winston Churchill’s stirring VE Day address,close to Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square.

When the procession reaches Buckingham Palace,the crowds will enjoy a flypast from the Red Arrows alongside 23 current and historic military aircraft.

The Red Arrows will be flying across parts of the country from 10am this morning (Picture: AS1 Iwan Lewis/RAF / SWNS)

Meanwhile,TfL itself will be marking the anniversary of the Second World War’s conclusion in Europe with its own sombre displays.

Statues representing the ‘Unknown Tommy’ and ‘Unknown Woman in War’ will be placed in five Underground stations with links to wartime history.

Baker Street and Tower Hill both contain war memorials; Charing Cross and Balham were hit by bombs; and Bethnal Green station was the site of the worst civilian disaster of the Second World War.

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