25 July 2026
PO Box 986 Douglas Isle of Man IM99 2TB
Isle of Man News

Chief to Mark VE Day

Chief Minister Alf Cannan will lead CoMin in marking Victory in Europe Day on Thursday, 80 years on from the surrender of Nazi Germany.

At 11:30 am the Chief Minister will lay a wreath at the war memorial at Government Office.

The oak tablet, which hangs in the main entrance, was first erected in 1920 in memory of Government officers who lost their lives in World War I. 

The Chief Minister will then lead the ministers to Douglas War Memorial on Harris Promenade where they will join with dignitaries and the public in observing the national two-minute silence. 

Thanksgiving

In London, Deputy Chief Minister Jane Poole-Wilson MHK will represent the Isle of Man at a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, which will be attended by the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family. 

In the evening Mrs Poole-Wilson will represent the island at the VE Day Concert on Horse Guards Parade.  Both events will be broadcast live on BBC One.

A VE Day Anniversary Concert and Drumhead Service at the Villa Marina will round off the island’s events, attended by the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister. 

Proceedings will culminate with the lighting of a beacon at 9:30 pm, one of a thousand expected to be lit at the same time throughout the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

Mr Cannan said: “VE Day is about celebrating victory over tyranny, but it also presents a moment for reflection, to give thanks for the sacrifices made both at home and abroad and to remember the many lives that were lost or changed forever.  

“This anniversary is particularly poignant, noting how the world has changed since the 75thanniversary just five years ago.  We must continue to cherish and defend our freedoms which were hard fought for and won.”

5 Comments

Leave a Reply