Ilkley Town Council to host VE Day 80 celebrations

Ilkley Town Council will host VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations on 8th May

Ilkley Town Council has announce a programme of events on the evening of Thursday, 8th May to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), joining in nationwide celebrations to commemorate this historic occasion.

Beginning at 6:30pm there will be a special bell-ringing event, offering a moment for reflection as the sound of bells rings out across the country to give thanks for those who served during the Second World War.

From 7:00pm until 8.30, residents and visitors are invited to gather at Ilkley Bandstand, where lively 1940s music from local band “Jump, Jive and Wail” will set the tone for the evening’s celebrations.

The commemorations will then move to the Memorial Gardens on Grove Road from 8:30pm, where a community event will take place, including an opportunity for reflection followed by more music, singing and readings. The evening will culminate in the lighting of a commemorative beacon at 9:30pm, mirroring a symbolic gesture taking place in towns and cities across the UK.

At the beacon lighting, attendees will be invited to join a community sing-along echoing across the country in a show of unity and remembrance featuring I Vow to Thee, My Country and the National Anthem.

The 80th anniversary of VE Day is an opportunity to remember the extraordinary bravery and sacrifices of those who served and the sense of relief and joy that the Second World War was approaching its end.

Ilkley Town Councillor Steve Butler said:

"This will be a fantastic event and an opportunity for Ilkley residents to come together to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.”

A full running order and further details about Ilkley's VE Day anniversary celebrations will be available to download soon from the Ilkley Town Council website here.