30 April 2025
Southampton will host city centre celebrations this month to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, with GO! Southampton proud to be part-funding the event.
On Sunday 11 May 2025 from 12-5pm, visitors to Carlton Place will see a full-size Spitfire on display alongside a collection of vintage military vehicles. Plus, a pop-up display from The Military Heritage Museum showcasing local military history through interactive exhibits that provide an immersive experience of life in the 1940’s.
The free-to-attend family event will offer a lively atmosphere featuring vintage vocal trio The Charlalas known for their wartime repertoire from “We’ll Meet Again” to “White Cliffs of Dover”, plus live music from the City of Southampton (Albion) Band and performances from Solent University’s Musical Theatre group.
For the fancy dress lovers, there will be a 1940s-themed competition with prizes for best-dressed adults and children, as well as local traders and food vendors selling a range of homemade produce and gifts. Former WWII veterans have also been invited and will be honoured as part of the celebrations.
This event is part of Southampton’s official VE Day 80 programme, supported and part-funded by Southampton City Council and GO! Southampton, and will be opened by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Dave Shields.
“This is a real celebration of Southampton’s history and community,” said Matt Sanger, one of the event organisers. “We’re bringing people together for a full vintage experience with music, heritage and fun – it’s going to be a day to remember.”
Stephen Manion, Executive Director of GO! Southampton added: “Carlton Place is going to look fantastic and we’d love to see visitors dressing up and joining in the fun. It’s also a great chance to support our fantastic local businesses and traders, who are a big part of what makes the city so special.”
Councillor Lorna Fielker, Leader of Southampton City Council said: “Southampton played an integral part in World War II and our city is recognised globally for building the Spitfire and supporting the D-Day landings. Celebrating VE Day 80 enables us to remember Southampton’s resilience, honour those who fought for our freedom, and bring communities together. I’m so pleased to see such a wide variety of celebrations and events taking place throughout May, and I encourage everyone to get involved.”
To compliment celebrations, new VE Day and VJ Day cross-street flags part -funded by GO! Southampton have also been installed in the city centre.
To see more information about VE and VJ day in Southampton click here or for more information about the event in Carlton Place, click here.
