Discover what’s happening in Croydon to mark VE Day 2025 – 80 years on since victory was declared in Europe following the Second World War.
RAF Croydon VE Day 80 Special Tours
Sat 8 May
Croydon Airport Visitor Centre, Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 0XZ
Aerodrome tour: 6.30pm
Airport House tour: 6.15pm, 7pm & 7.30pm
Take a special guided tour of Croydon Historic Airport including Britain’s first integrated airport terminal and control tower at Airport House in Croydon.
You will learn more about RAF Croydon – a key member of 11 Group during the Battle of Britain, before becoming a transport hub for the latter part of World War II.
There will be an outdoor tour of the Aerodrome at 6.30pm where you can discover how it was used during the war and the pre-war years. This will be followed by indoor tours of Airport House at 6.15pm, 7pm and 7.30pm.
Advance booking is required.
Kenley Revival VE Day 80th Anniversary Trail
Sat 26 April – Sun 23 Nov
RAF Kenley Tribute, Kenley Airfield, Caterham, Surrey CR3 5LZ
Follow a self-guided trail of Kenley Airfield starting from the RAF Kenley Tribute Memorial on Kenley Common.
Learn about events leading up to the end of World War I, clockwise around the 2 mile circuit of the perimeter track from The Tribute.
Entrance and free roadside parking is located on Hayes Lane.
This is a free event and no advance booking is required.
Croydon Courageous: A Tribute to Resilience and Remembrance
From Sat 8 May
High Street, Croydon CR0 1GT
To commemorate VE Day, a powerful piece of Croydon’s history will go on display in the town centre.
Croydon Courageous, painted in 1946 by Norman Partridge, will be replicated and displayed on Croydon’s High Street — a striking reminder of the resilience, sacrifice and unity that defined our borough during the Second World War.
This large scale painting captures the aftermath of bombing raids across Croydon.
Through detailed and moving scenes, Partridge pays tribute to those who kept us going — from air raid wardens and emergency services to ordinary residents who faced extraordinary circumstances.
