Deputy Sue Aldwell told Express that the decision to focus these events on St Peter Port was made partially in recognition of the significance of the 80th anniversary of the island’s liberation but also in response to feedback received in recent years where more events have been held in other parishes.
Deputy Aldwell said some events will be held in other parishes but they may be over several days, giving people the chance to head in to town if they wish on 9 May, while still enjoying other events during the same period.
Some funding has been allocated to the parishes to enable those events to happen.
The majority of events on 9 May itself will be held in town though – with funding allocated to that too.
Deputy Aldwell is expecting up to 30,000 people to visit town on the day – and she says there will be plenty to focus their thoughts during the morning, and to entertain them during the afternoon and evening.
Pictured: A past Liberation Day cavalcade. (Chris George)
These events will include the traditional parade and church service during the morning – seen as the formal commemorative events marking the anniversary of the end of the island’s Occupation by German forces.
The school relay races and the athletics club road race will also take place during the morning, with entertainment on North Beach and the Victoria and Albert piers starting late morning and continuing throughout the afternoon and evening. Events will also be held at Castle Cornet.
The entertainment programme will include the Cavalcade, a vintage fair on the Crown Pier, an open-air concert with visiting and local performers on North Beach, a food fayre and charity zone, visiting military and veteran groups, a fireworks display and much more to be announced over the coming months.
“We began planning for the 80th Liberation Day immediately after 2023’s commemorations and it has very much ramped up in the past few weeks,” said Deputy Aldwell.
“We’re making excellent progress and I’d like to thank the many people in and outside the States who are working with us. This is a major milestone, and we want to deliver a day that is remembered for years to come. Every year, Liberation Day is a special day in the Guernsey calendar, but next year is going to be even bigger occasion, and we will have even more to see and do for all islanders.
“I’m already so impressed by the commitment and teamwork of everyone involved, but we know there’s still a lot of work to do and it’s going to be a very busy few months.”
Deputy Aldwell sits on the Liberation Day 80 Oversight Board, which is led by the Head of Heritage Services Helen Glencross.
She said the planning is progressing well, but the delivery of the programme of events will rely on even more people coming together in the run up to Liberation Day.
“We are very conscious of the significance of the 80th Liberation Day, so we are committed to delivering a fantastic day that remembers the experience of Islanders during the Occupation and celebrates our Liberation,” she said.
“The Oversight Board members together have years of experience in organising major local events including previous Liberation Days, and we will be making further announcements on the events and activities that will make up the day over the coming months, but we wanted to share now the broader plan for the day and some of the key features which we know will be a part of it. Together with parishes and individual event organisers, we are planning a programme that will give people lots of opportunities to take part.
“We are working with the Association of Guernsey Charities to bring together volunteers who will be key in helping us to deliver a great day, and you’ll hear more on that soon. And we are looking for sponsors for some of the major events that form part of the day, so any businesses who are interested, we would be happy to hear from you.”