Liberation Day 80th Anniversary commemoration and celebration

Planning for the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day commemorations and celebrations has continued to make excellent progress over this year, with a full programme of events, activities and entertainment for all ages taking shape.

In recognition of the significance of next year's milestone anniversary and in response to the community's feedback, there will be a greater focus on the St Peter Port seafront, with a different theme and programme on each of the piers from North Beach to Castle Cornet.

The programme will include the Cavalcade, a vintage fair on Crown Pier, an open-air concert with visiting and local performers on North Beach, a food fayre and charity zone, visiting military and veteran groups, a fireworks display and much more which will be announced over the coming months.

The traditional morning events including the commemorative parade and church service will also be major features of next year's Liberation Day.

And, building on the success of parish-based events over recent years, funding to parishes has again been provided to support events across the Island. This year, in recognition of the significance of the 80th Anniversary, funding has been offered to support Liberation-related events both on 9th May and on the days around it. Already several parishes have confirmed their intention to hold a range of events, ensuring a truly island-wide Liberation Day celebration.

Deputy Sue Aldwell, the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture's representative for Liberation Day said:

"We began planning for the 80th Liberation Day immediately after 2023's commemorations and it has very much ramped up in the past few weeks. We're making excellent progress and I'd like to thank the many people in and outside the States who are working with us. This is a major milestone, and we want to deliver a day that is remembered for years to come. Every year, Liberation Day is a special day in the Guernsey calendar, but next year is going to be even bigger occasion, and we will have even more to see and do for all islanders. I'm already so impressed by the commitment and teamwork of everyone involved, but we know there's still a lot of work to do and it's going to be a very busy few months."

The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture is supported in the planning of the 80th Liberation Day by a specially formed Liberation Day 80 Oversight Board, led by the Head of Heritage Services Helen Glencross, who said:

"We are very conscious of the significance of the 80th Liberation Day, so we are committed to delivering a fantastic day that remembers the experience of Islanders during the Occupation and celebrates our Liberation.

The Oversight Board members together have years of experience in organising major local events including previous Liberation Days, and we will be making further announcements on the events and activities that will make up the day over the coming months, but we wanted to share now the broader plan for the day and some of the key features which we know will be a part of it. Together with parishes and individual event organisers, we are planning a programme that will give people lots of opportunities to take part.

We are working with the Association of Guernsey Charities to bring together volunteers who will be key in helping us to deliver a great day, and you'll hear more on that soon. And we are looking for sponsors for some of the major events that form part of the day, so any businesses who are interested, we would be happy to hear from you."

Further announcements will be made over the coming weeks and months, through the media, and on the Liberationday.gg website and social media channels.