Statement from the Council: VE Day

In light of significant misinformation in the press and online, the Council has issued the following statement:

“The Council has not cancelled its VE Day commemoration event or rejected calls for military parades as reported. VE Day belongs to all of us. We are absolutely committed to honouring the sacrifice of our armed forces and ensuring their memory lives on.

The Council has a long and proud history of supporting commemorative events and our armed forces community. We have long-standing commitments for VE Day and can confirm that we will be holding a joint commemorative event with the Royal British Legion (RBL) on 8 May (VE Day) at Boxmoor War Memorial as planned, to honour and pay tribute to the Second World War generation from across the UK and Commonwealth. The commemorative event will be attended by the Lord-Lieutenant, who is His Majesty’s most senior representative in the county. This will include parade formalities at the War Memorial.

Over the last few weeks, we have encouraged communities across Dacorum to host street parties over the May bank holiday weekend through free street closures from Hertfordshire County Council, with information available on our website.

We have also purchased two 80th anniversary ‘Tommy Statues’ which will be placed in Tring Memorial Gardens and in the Walled Gardens, Gadebridge Park, as permanent reminders of our nation's fallen soldiers and those who continue to serve.

In addition to this, the Council is delivering a celebratory Armed Forces Day event in June, a commemorative service for VJ Day in August and our annual Remembrance Parade on 9 November and Remembrance Day service on 11 November 2025. These days are important reminders of the sacrifices made by millions of people around the world to bring peace and freedom to future generations and protect against those who seek to divide us."