The Ultimate Guide to the 80th Anniversary D Day Landing Events in Britain and France
In June 2024 we can celebrate and be so grateful for the incredible feat of bravery and ingenuity 80 years ago, that changed the course of the war.
It’s the reason that we are living free lives today.
We share the stories and the destinations of the people, the engineering and the code breaking with visitors every year.
- Winston Churchill: From Cradle to Grave Collection celebrates our incredible war leader.
- The 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings is particularly significant:
- It will probably be the final major celebration involving individuals who played a role all those years ago.
- The British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy, will host commemorations for a major anniversary of D-Day for the first time.
There had been no single memorial dedicated to remembrance of Normandy veterans. The Normandy Memorial Trust was created in 2016 to realise the dream of Normandy Veterans to have a British Normandy Memorial and, following nearly six years of hard work, opened on Sunday 6 June 2021.
D Day 80th Anniversary Celebrations June 2024
5 June 2024 at 5pm: Bayeux
A Service of Commemoration to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings at Bayeux War Cemetery, France
For Normandy and WW2 veterans, families of the fallen and descendants. Public tickets through a ballot.
5 June 2024 – daytime: Portsmouth
National Commemoration of D Day 80th Anniversary on Southsea Common, Portsmouth.
Thousands of members of the public will be invited to join D-Day veterans, Armed Forces personnel and VIP guests on Southsea Common.
D-Day veterans will be at the heart of the event, which will also feature military musicians, a Royal Air Force flypast and moving tributes from special guests.
6 June 2024 – daytime: Ver-sur-Mer
British National Event to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings at the British Normandy Memorial, Ver-sur-Mer, France
This will be open to Normandy veterans and their guests.
6 June 2024 at 2pm: Staffordshire
National Memorial Arboretum D-Day 80 Service of Remembrance hosted by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire UK
Alongside the service, the RBL will be welcoming eligible D-Day and Normandy veterans and their families in a dedicated VIP area. Entry into this area must be booked in advance and is subject to availability: registration closes on 28 March.
The Arboretum will be open to the public and visitors will be welcome to watch the D-Day 80 Service of Remembrance in the grounds.
6 June 2024 at 8.15pm: France and the United Kingdom
Lighting the 80th Anniversary D Day Beacons
The International 80th Anniversary D-Day Beacon will be lit in Normandy at 8.15pm (British Summer Time), at the British Normandy Memorial overlooking Gold Beach, with the other Beacons located on Utah, Omaha, Juno and Sword beaches being lit at 8.30pm BST, followed by the Principal United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man Beacon at Portsmouth, England at 9.15pm BST.
1st – 16th June 2024 The Normandy D Day Festival
Come and celebrate freedom!
For this very special occasion, Normandy’s ambition is to offer a family-friendly event for visitors and locals.
The night of Saturday 1st June will see over 20 huge firework displays will light up the sky simultaneously over the 5 Landing Beaches.
You are invited to enjoy a popular program of over 100 festive and cultural events to mark the anniversary of the Allied Landings. The D-Day Festival takes place along the entire coastline of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, from Pegasus Bridge to Sainte-Mère-Eglise, including the five iconic sectors of Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach.
8th – 9th June 2024 The Southwick Revival: Spirit of D Day
“OK, let’s go!” With these words General Dwight D Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force launched the Normandy Landings.
Explore the house and village from which he issued the order and oversaw the campaign that turned the tide of World War Two.
Southwick Revival is a fantastically nostalgic event commemorating the D Day Landings. Lucky attendees get the chance to enjoy exclusive sneak peaks of the wonderful Map Room at Southwick Park, whilst all visitors can indulge in the sights and smells of 1940’s England.
June 2024 Legacies of D-Day exhibition, France and UK
From 6 June 2024 at British Normandy Memorial, France and National Memorial Arboretum, UK
A special 80th anniversary exhibition to honour the service and sacrifice of the D-Day Generation, open to the public in France and the UK.
Summer 2024 Standing With Giants Ver-Sur-Mer
A total of 1,475 silhouettes by ‘Standing with Giants’ will appear in Spring 2024 at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, representing the number of fatalities under British command on 6 June 1944.
This art installation will be part of D-Day 80 commemorations at the Memorial and will be available to visit throughout the summer of 2024.
5th – 6th October 2024 Highclere Castle Festival of WWII and D Day
You are invited to celebrate the 80th anniversary and listen to a variety of speakers, learn to dance swing, sing along to the 1940s singers and tap your toes to the music.
There will be vintage car displays, lawn games and a ‘History of Flight’ tent detailing the planes and crew which crashed on the Highclere Estate during World War 2.
The Castle will be open for you to tour and explore at your leisure, should you wish, as well as enjoying reenactments from the Second World War on the Castle Lawns, including activities for children.
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