D-Day 80: Free tickets all taken for Portsmouth anniversary events

The last major commemoration of D-Day was held in Portsmouth on the 75th anniversary in 2019

Tickets have been made available to the public for the main UK events to mark 80 years since D-Day.

The televised commemoration on Southsea Common on 5 June will see tributes to those who took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944.

It will feature veterans' stories and reflections as well as military musicians and a RAF flypast, followed by an evening vigil event.

Tickets for both events were all taken within hours of being released.

The combined naval, air and land assault on occupied France on D-Day remains the largest invasion by sea in history.

Tens of thousands of allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy on 6 June, marking the beginning of the liberation of Europe from the Nazis.

Earlier this year the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the national event on Southsea Common, part of a series of major commemorations taking place in both the UK and in France.

Taking place on 5 June, the date that many soldiers set off from the south coast of England, the daytime commemoration will see thousands of members of the public join D-Day veterans and VIP guests to mark the anniversary.

There will also be an evening event, A Tribute to the Fallen, billed as a community vigil to fallen allied soldiers who fought and died during D-Day operations, which will include live music performances and a broadcast from Bayeux War Cemetery in France.

Across both events, about 6,000 free tickets were made available online to the public earlier.

In a statement, Portsmouth City Council said demand for the tickets had been "extremely high".

"We look forward to welcoming the local residents that secured tickets to the events alongside the millions that will be watching on BBC One and iPlayer.

"If you don't have a ticket, your best place to see the events will be at home watching live on TV," it added.

Other free events taking place in the city to mark the anniversary include the traditional commemoration service at the D-Day Memorial Stone near Southsea Seafront on 6 June.

Portsmouth Armed Forces Day takes place on 8 June on Southsea Common.

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Speaking at the event launch, director Brig Anna Kimber, said: "It's about commemorating the service and sacrifice of those that have gone before and critically it's about passing on their legacy.

"If we can't instil this into the youth for them to take forward when they're not here then it's all been in vain."

The last major D-Day commemoration on Southsea Common saw the late Queen Elizabeth II and world leaders, including then-US President Donald Trump, marking the 75th anniversary.

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