On Thursday commemorations will be marked by a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey and V E Day 80: A Celebration to Remember, an evening concert at Horse Guards Parade. Expected to draw over 10,000 attendees, the concert will feature stars such as Samantha Barks, Fleur East and John Newman.

People were dancing in the street in Desford today (Saturday, May 3) as the celebrations began to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It was May 8, 1945, that Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies and, for Europe at least, the Second World War was over.

The locations of events taking place in the lead up to May 8 across the UK to mark 80 years since VE Day have been mapped. The date saw Nazi Germany officially defeated in 1945 as World War 2 came to an end in Europe after six long years.