Liberation Celebrations

9th May

About the Liberation Celebrations

After 5 long years of German Occupation during the Second World War, the Channel Islands finally regained their freedom. On the 9th May 1945, Guernsey men and women opened their windows wide, descended in the streets of St. Peter Port to breathe a common sight of relief and to start preparing for a brighter future. Seventy years on, the 9th May is still as strongly cherished by islanders whose collective memory of privations and hardships still echoes around the place. As half of the population was evacuated, including 4000 children, the other half endured hunger, poor medical attention and fear.

The celebrations on the 9th May are every year about not forgetting the past, thanking those who fought but also about the joy of freedom, plentifulness and family life. The day is therefore a very happy occasion with military band street parade, church services, period dancing and singing, a mini cavalcade, a Grand Prix, markets, fireworks and loads of entertainment for all generations to share.

2025 marks 80 year of Guernsey’s Liberation at the end of WWII and this year, we will be celebrating Liberation Day on Friday 9th May. Many events take place in St. Peter Port and around the island on Liberation Day, full details will be available nearer the time.

2025 Programme is TBC, for 2024 the events started at 08.59, with the sounding of the siren followed by a 2 minutes silence, 09.50 wreath laying followed by the Military Parade along St. Peter Port Seafront, 11.00 Town Church Service, 13.00 - 15.00 Liberation Coastal Cavalcade, 15.00-17.00 static display, 17.00 onwards The Liberation Big Band Dance culminating with the fireworks display at 21.15, fired from Castle Cornet.

Dates

Liberation day is the 9th May 2025

Events take place throughout the day