What 80th‑anniversary event was commemorated across the UK on 8 May?

Across the UK, 8 May 2025—eighty years after Nazi Germany’s surrender—was more than a day of wreaths. A two‑minute noon silence followed an Abbey service attended by the King, while schools streamed Q&As with the last Arctic Convoy sailors. Horse Guards Parade swapped drill for guitars as a 20 000‑strong crowd sang swing classics remixed by grime artists. Museums pushed pop‑up exhibits onto streets: in Manchester a 1940s canteen served Spam rolls beside an AR map overlaying wartime bomb damage on today’s skyline. Organisers hope the interactive focus will draw Gen Z beyond social‑media nostalgia into debates on post‑war reconstruction—timely, they argue, as Europe again faces questions about unity. The Royal Household has signalled that next year’s programme will pivot to peacekeeping since 1945, showing that the VE story no longer ends on 8 May.