D-Day 80 Commemorations: Day-by-Day Guide

Portsmouth is gearing up for a week of commemoration events to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. These will be taking place right across the city and beyond, from the huge National Commemoration Event attended by dignitaries, to film screenings and live music performances.

To make it easy to see just what's going on and plan your week, here's what has been organised, ordered by day.

1 June

Fort Nelson starts the D-Day 80 commemorations off with a bang, quite literally, with a Firepower Weekend across 1 and 2 June. There will be artillery displays, re-enactors, live music and two WW2 artillery firings per day.

The Portsmouth Film Society will also start its week of commemorations (taking place from 1 to 6 June), with A Tribute to Heroes which takes the form of screenings, readings and live performances.

2 June

Portsmouth Cathedral hosts an extra special Sunday Service on 2 June, broadcast live on BBC Radio 4. There will be contributions from Nicholas Witchell and Lord Dannatt (among others), with music from the Cathedral Choir.

3 June

The following day it's the turn of Portsmouth Guildhall to host the BBC, as it will be the venue for Radio 2's D-Day Concert. Hosted by Vernon Kaye, the show will feature music from the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Big Band - performing songs from the era.

The D-Day Story, meanwhile, will be hosting a Q&A event with veterans, organised in conjunction with the Spirit of Normandy Trust. There will be the opportunity for attendees to questions, and listen to their experiences about D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.

A very limited number of tickets are available on Eventbrite (at the time of writing).

If you can't make it on the day, the event will be livestreamed online, so you can ask questions remotely at the time, or catch up later at your convenience.

After this Q&A the veterans will be shown around Southwick House - including its famous ‘map room’ from which General Eisenhower directed operations back in 1944 - and will be treated to a fly-past from the Battle of Britain Memorial Fight.

4 June

The vintage aircraft will take to the skies above Portsmouth once again on the morning of 4 June, to salute a Brittany Ferries vessel carrying veterans over to France on behalf of the Royal British Legion.

Warships and merchant vessels in Portsmouth Harbour will sound their sirens in tribute, while a flotilla of serving and vintage vessels will accompany the ferry, setting off at 8am. This will include three Royal Navy warships that will cross the Channel to Caen Canal, to support ceremonies at Pegasus Bridge - the Allies' first objective on D-Day.

Also on the morning of 4 June there will be a train naming ceremony at Portsmouth Harbour Station. South Western Railway will continue its support of D-Day and Portsmouth by naming a train 'The D-Day Story'. To mark the occasion there will be children from local schools in attendance as well as a brass band. The train will then depart for London and enter general service on the railway line.

5 June

The National Commemoration Event takes place in the enclosure on Southsea Common on the morning of 5 June. It will feature the testimonies of veterans, contemporary music performed by a 70-piece orchestra, a 40-strong choir, drummers from the Royal Marines Band, and more than 500 serving members of the Armed Forces who will form a guard of honour.

In the evening is 'A Tribute To The Fallen' featuring a stunning light show and further live performances.

Please note, tickets for both these events have now been allocated. There will be no provision for those outside of the compound so travelling to Southsea Common without a ticket is not advised. The best place to see the National Commemoration will be watching live on the BBC.

6 June

The anniversary of D-Day itself will be marked in Portsmouth with a service at the D-Day Memorial (also known as 'The D-Day Stone', near South Parade Pier). It will include a small parade of servicemen and women, as well as a service to remember and pay thanks.

Over the course of the day there will be much to see and do at the New Theatre Royal. Its events begin with two film screenings ('Went The Day Well?' first, then 'The Longest Day'), before singing trio The Silhouettes perform WW2-era songs with stunning vocals and playful choreography.

In the evening there will be beacons lit at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Southsea Castle, as well as across the Channel in Normandy, and around the UK.

8 June

Portsmouth will come together to mark its Armed Forces Day with a huge event on Southsea Common. Open to all, this celebration will feature live music and parades, as well as a full display from the Red Arrows.

For the children there will be funfair rides, a climbing wall, laser tag, obstacle course, arts and crafts, and naval battle games.

9 June

The Kings Theatre will bring the curtain down on the week-long D-Day 80 commemoration events, with Proms at the Kings. ITV presenter Matt Teale hosts, and there will be a special appearance from Eastenders star (and local lass) Emma Barton. The show will feature tributes, as well as live music from the Kings Theatre Orchestra and Kings Theatre Choir.

Looking ahead

Of course, as well as the big commemorations around the anniversary there's a year-round calendar of events at The D-Day Story. The UK's only museum dedicated to the Normandy Campaign has a big year planned with conferences, talks, guided tours and more - as well as a drive to encourage more children to visit so it's able to fulfil the veterans' wishes of keeping their stories alive.

See The D-Day Story website for information about the museum, as well as events it is hosting. There you can also view the D-Day in 80 Objects project, which compiled items from national museums around the world to give greater insight into the Normandy campaign and those who took part.