PUBS and bars in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 01:00 BST on Thursday 8 May to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the government has confirmed.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said venues that usually close at 23:00 will be able to continue serving for two extra hours.
"Keeping our pubs open for longer will give people the opportunity to join in celebrations and raise a glass to all of the men and women who served their country, both overseas and at home," he said.
The Home Office will lay an order before Parliament to approve the extended licensing hours. Previous VE Day anniversaries, royal events and sporting occasions such as the Euro 2024 final have also seen similar extensions.
VE Day, celebrated annually on 8 May, marks Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender in World War Two.
Starmer said the country should "come together" to "remember the incredible sacrifices made by the wartime generation and to celebrate the peace and freedom they secured for us all".
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, told the BBC the extension offers a "much-needed boost" to hospitality while marking shared history.
Emma McClarkin of the British Beer and Pub Association called pubs "the nation's second home".
Commemorations begin on 5 May with a military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace and an RAF flypast.
A thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey and a concert at Horse Guards Parade will follow on 8 May.
The thunderstorms are expected to subside from the west during the mid-afternoonMet Office
