Portsmouth D-Day 80 Commemorations: Free tickets available for city's poignant event on Southsea Common

A limited number of public tickets are available on a first come, first served basis for the separate day and night events, on Wednesday, June 5 with tickets made available from Ticketmaster from 10am on Thursday, May 9.

It comes as the preparations for the two national MoD-led events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day - the largest naval, air and military operation in history - get underway with equipment beginning to arrive on site and hoardings being placed around the boundary of the common.

Although exact details of what to expect at the events have yet to be revealed, both events will pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery and achievements of the D-Day veterans, and the incredible work on the home front that combined to make D-Day one of the most important days of the twentieth century. They will reflect on the story of the ‘great’ of Great Britain who came from every walk of life, and the role of the Allies who combined to launch the most complex amphibious invasion plan ever conceived.

The daytime event is from 11am-1pm and you can expect to see recognisable famous faces, musical performances, readings, and testimonies. It is also expected that this will feature a flypast from the Red Arrows.

The evening event is from 8.30pm-10pm and will be a community vigil to fallen Allied soldiers who fought and died during D Day operations and include a live broadcast from Bayeux War Cemetery in France. There will also be live music performances and moving testimony from those who were there.

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “We’re proud that once again Portsmouth has been chosen for the national commemorations of D-Day and that the MOD has made some tickets available so that some of our residents can be a part of the events, in the audience.

“Both events can only be accessed by ticket and there are a limited number available, so we’d urge residents and visitors to set up a Ticketmaster UK account ready for when tickets are available at 10am on 9 May.”

Many Portsmouth residents have been invited by the organisers to attend the event, including members of veterans’ organisations and local groups, as well as some local schoolchildren to help ensure that the baton of remembrance is passed down the generations.

Residents and visitors have been warned that without a ticket, there is no public vantage point for you to watch the events, although you will be able to watch live coverage of both events on BBC One and iPlayer as well as see the coverage by The News.

If you would like to be in the audience, you can get a maximum of four tickets from www.ticketmaster.co.uk and will need a Ticketmaster UK account to access tickets, so you are advised to set one up beforehand. There is no minimum age to attend the events, however the lead ticket holder needs to be over 18-years-old. For more details go to www.ticketmaster.co.uk.