London’s Horse Guards Parade is to host a special 2-hour concert marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day which will be broadcast live on BBC One.
Airing on VE Day (Thursday 8 May) and hosted by Zoe Ball, VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember will be the finale of the nationwide celebrations.
Viewers and attendees will be treated to music performances from a line-up of acts that include Sir Willard White, Fleur East, Freya Ridings and Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
Dames Joan Collins, Mary Berry, and Sheila Hancock will also lend their voices to the commemoration, while Brian Cox will deliver a reenactment of Winston Churchill’s iconic wartime speech.
And Sir Derek Jacobi, Iain Glen, Larry Lamb and Nigel Havers will star in a revival of classic BBC sitcom, Dad’s Army.
The BBC, which is organising the concert, says the evening will also see veterans and wartime heroes “reflect on their experiences of VE Day, stories of love, resilience, and the joy of peace after years of conflict”.
In the build up to the anniversary and on the day itself, BBC TV and radio channels will be offering a host of themed shows to mark the end of the conflict in Europe, including special editions of BBC Breakfast, Morning Live, Antiques Roadshow, The Repair Shop, EastEnders, Who Do You Think You Are, Friday Night is Music Night, and The Archers.
There will also be special concerts on Radios 2 and 3 and BBC Two will air Dad’s Army at the BBC in which Toby Jones, who played Captain Mainwaring in the 2016 film version of the series, shares a selection of classic clips featuring everyone’s favourite Home Guard platoon in appearances on other BBC shows.
Coverage begins on Monday 5th May with VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute, a live broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer of the military procession and flypast from London.
Tim Davie CBE, Director-General of the BBC, said: “VE Day stands as a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and resilience shown by so many during one of history’s darkest times.
“At the BBC, we are proud to bring the nation together to pay tribute to the WWII generation and ensure their legacy is remembered.”