VE Day Anniversary Bank Holiday 2020

To coincide with the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, the early May Bank Holiday in 2020 will be brought forward to the Friday (8th May) instead of the usual Monday.

What is VE Day?

VE (Victory in Europe Day) is a day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on the 8 May 1945. On 30 April 1945, Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader, committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin.

Announcing the change, Business Secretary Greg Clark said: "It will ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to remember and honour our heroes of the Second World War and reflect on the sacrifices of a generation."

The May Day bank holiday has been moved only once before. It was changed from 1 May to 8 May in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of VE Day.