VE Day will be honoured and remembered with a whole host of programming across the BBC this week, from special episodes of The Repair Shop and Who Do You Think You Are? to live broadcasts from Westminster Abbey and Horse Guards Parade. Take a look at some of the highlights below.
- Who was Vera Lynn, the 'Forces' Sweetheart'?
- Best WWII movies of all time: 28 films that depict the horror and humanity of war
What is VE Day?
VE Day, also known as Victory in Europe Day, celebrates the formal acceptance by the Allied forces of Germany's unconditional surrender in World War II. It took place on 8 May 1945.
When is VE Day?
VE Day is celebrated on 8 May – although news of the end of the war started to be broadcast the day before. 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the celebration.
What's on TV to mark VE Day 80?
Antiques Roadshow
Sunday 4 May 2025, 20:00 BBC One – available to watch on BBC iPlayer
This special episode, presented by Fiona Bruce, was filmed in Berlin and at Bletchley Park, featuring interviews with veterans and the families of those who took part in the liberation of Europe.
Dad’s Army at the BBC
Tuesday 6 May, 19.30 – BBC Two and BBC iPlayer
Narrator Toby Jones – who himself played Captain Mainwaring in 2016’s Dad’s Army film – shares a selection of classic clips that feature everyone’s favourite Home Guard platoon in appearances that took them beyond the confines of Walmington-on-Sea.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Tuesday 6 May, 21:00 – BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Ross Kemp's ancestral detective hunt leads to a marine drummer boy from the Napoleonic era and his great-grandfather’s experiences in the merchant navy during two world wars.
The Repair Shop
Wednesday 7 May 2025, 20:00 – BBC One
The team open the barn doors to mend four very special items, each with an extraordinary wartime story behind them.
VE Day 80: The Nation Remembers
Thursday 8 May, 10.45am - BBC One and BBC iPlayer
A broadcast from Westminster Abbey, with a service of thanksgiving paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation.
EastEnders
Thursday 8 May, 19:30 – BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Walford prepares to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day in The Queen Vic.
VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember
Thursday 8 May, 20:00 – BBC One and BBC iPlayer
A live concert from Horse Guards parade in London will be presented by Zoe Ball. Alongside the stars of stage and screen who will perform at the concert, veterans will also tell their stories of love, loss and resilience, as they share their unique experiences of VE Day when they could finally smile again. With a live orchestra, the concert will channel the spirit of what was the ultimate feel good party, and no VE Day concert would be complete without special performances of “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll Meet Again”.
Discover more UK history
- Walk in the footsteps of our wartime heroes and visit the best World War II museums in the UK – and the world
- Once home to Nazi prisoners: The grim reality of life inside one of Britain's former WW2 prisoner of war camps
- "Difficulties mastered are opportunities won": Best Winston Churchill quotes that inspire and motivate
- Why some places are more 'thankful' than others. Discover the shameful secret behind the villages with no war memorial
Main image: Jayesh Vaghela, Julie Tatchell, Dominic Chinea, Amanda Middleditch, Will Kirk, Steve Fletcher from The Repair Shop/Credit: BBC / Ricochet / Sarah Weal