VE Day and VJ Day in Leicester

Type:Culture/Heritage

Every Street, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 6AG

Add VE Day and VJ Day in Leicester to your Itinerary

A photo from VE day in Leicester with people dancing round the clock tower

About

80 years ago, people in Leicester marked the end of the Second World War with a conga round the Clock Tower – and now plans are taking shape to commemorate the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day in style.

Vintage music, bunting and bell-ringing will mark both anniversaries, which take place on Thursday 8 May for VE Day and Friday 15 August for VJ Day.

The celebrations will be centred around Town Hall, with bunting, flags, floral tributes and a commemorative book available for people to record their personal thanks to the men and women who served in the war. Vera Lynn’s wartime classic ‘We’ll Meet Again’ and other well-known tunes from the 1940s will fill the square.

Leicester Cathedral will also be marking both anniversaries with commemorative evening services, which will be open to the public and attended by the Lord Mayor, the Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, and other civic dignitaries. Bell-ringing will follow the services.

Leicester’s libraries and museums will also be getting involved by showcasing resources, memories and objects relating to the 1940s wartime era and celebrations of peace. In May, Leicester Museum & Art Gallery will feature works by Charles Ginner, an official war artist who specialised in painting harbour scenes and bombed buildings in London. And in August, the hugely popular Popping to the Shops exhibition will feature as its ‘object of the month’ an extremely rare poster for a VJ concert in November 1945, delayed on purpose so that servicemen returning from the Far East could attend.

There will of course be street parties held by communities around the city and county and the city council simply ask if you can fill in a simple online form to tell them where and when you plan to hold the event. Organising small, private street parties and fetes is very simple and generally there is no charge.

TripAdvisor

Opening Times

VJ Day celebrations (15 Aug 2025)

What's Nearby

  1. 1620s House & Garden

    The 1620s House & Garden is a rare example of a family home built in the 13th century and…

    11.63 miles away
  2. Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park

    Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre tells the dramatic story of the Battle fought on…

    11.75 miles away
  3. Stanford Hall

    Stanford has been the home of the Cave family, ancestors of the present owner, since 1430…

    15.56 miles away
  1. Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens

    Nestled in rural Northamptonshire, Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens is an elegant Grade I listed…

    17.92 miles away
  2. Melbourne Hall and Gardens

    Once the home of Victorian Prime Minister, William Lamb who, as Second Viscount…

    18.18 miles away
  3. Arbury Hall

    Known as the 'Gothic Gem of the Midlands', Arbury Hall has been the ancestral home of the…

    18.27 miles away
  4. Cottesbrooke Hall & Gardens

    Dating from 1702 the Hall’s beauty is matched by the magnificence of the gardens and the…

    20.34 miles away
  5. Lamport Hall & Gardens

    Lamport Hall is a hidden gem in Northamptonshire boasting wonderful gardens, stunning…

    21.34 miles away
  6. All Saints' Church, Aldwincle

    A Medieval wonder in a pretty village

    29.84 miles away
  7. Fulbeck Manor

    Built c1580. 400 years of Fane family portraits. Open by written appointment. Guided…

    36.2 miles away
  8. Kimbolton Castle

    Kimbolton Castle has a rich and fascinating history that has seen it develop from a…

    39.05 miles away
  9. Derwent Valley Mills

    The Derwent valley, upstream from Derby on the southern edge of the Pennines, contains a…

    39.25 miles away
  10. Wakefield Lodge

    The most striking feature of Wakefield Walk was the large expanse of Wakefield Lawn.

    39.48 miles away
  11. All Saints' Church, Billesley

    A light-filled gem with a Shakespearean connection

    40.28 miles away
  12. Broughton Castle

    Medieval Manor House later transformed into a Tudor Mansion, surrounded by a wide moat…

    42.42 miles away
  13. Kiftsgate Court Gardens

    Three generations of women gardeners have designed, planted and sustained this garden. …

    46.64 miles away
Previous Next

Don't Miss

Don't Miss

Don't Miss

Don't Miss

Don't Miss