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# Armed Forces Memorial to close to the public ahead of VJ Day anniversary commemorations
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/armed-forces-memorial-to-close-to-the-public-ahead-of-vj-day-anniversary-commemorations/
- Published: 2025-08-03T06:10:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-30T13:59:53.000Z
- Description: Visitors to the National Memorial Arboretum are being reminded that a key site will close ahead of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Alrewas, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:45, News

VISITORS to the National Memorial Arboretum are being reminded that a key site will close ahead of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

The Armed Forces Memorial at the heart of the Alrewas venue will be at the heart of national events highlighting the end of the Second World War.

To allow for preparations to take place, the memorial and its immediate surroundings will not be accessible to the public between 9am on 8th August and 5pm on 17th August. The remainder of the arboretum will be be open as normal.

Mark Ellis, from the National Memorial Arboretum, said:

> “The temporary closure of the Armed Forces Memorial will allow our team to safely prepare and later dismantle the event site.  
>  
> “We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause to visitors, and we have procedures in place so that people can continue to pay their respects and remember all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the nation.  
>  
> “Visitors can continue to explore the rest of our 150-acre estate, learn about the inspirational stories behind many of our other more than 420 memorials and participate in our fantastic Wondrous Trees summer activity programme – and our daily activities including land train, buggy tours, and our VJ Day guided walks will all be available.”

Throughout the closure, visitors will be able to lay wreaths and tributes in a temporary location near the Armed Forces Memorial.

At the end of each day the tributes will be placed on the Armed Forces Memorial by a member of the team who will also observe a moment of silence.

The service on 15th August will be attended by Second World War veterans, VJ association members, senior politicians and military personnel, remembering the fallen and paying tribute to the British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans who served in the Far East theatres of war, the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories.

It will feature 400 members of the Armed Forces and include music from military bands, as well as a flypast from the Red Arrows and historic Second World War era aircraft from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Visitors can attend a live screening of the service at the nearby Naval Review. for more details visit [the National Memorial Arboretum website](https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.gqh-2BaxUzlo7XKIuSly0rC0uEqFHOFIAnl3QBU4Mok6-2F14VsbAFPothhM2MRC0sYfad3nAbkm5rYYOGy7VDNrqpBT78EAVUtgfjgfeohF1WTZGTXelEuVIyniPexqlITHZr5icF11CB3E8VSD7otwMg-3D-3Dp4py%5F2lDr8NgXJlBXOJ40nPRcC9X5iQ5rqELvPn53S7m8qsYzvvM0PRYIsOu6F-2B43dPx7U-2Fu5o5Cm8-2FcpQ-2FiqjJVMtpiPDA35alI-2FOLAw6CHmVNehQ0w9rzIp6TML17SokBGH2CkN6dud9WZhDs-2B-2BSZCOzuo0uL-2FTqv3-2FWCfWlSoC-2BiVq9O1euoILAKEh7gQDw3APura3XjnGcvFW07FY7OZ4X7YikM68YmAKc2SfwZtS-2FLx6VIKcguacu5bq3DbpYUUFh3Gn8HS5hGwced20lXAtnaNev0bppBM-2FvIYHODDbxrVKMrS0I3nTPUHErN14yxuIG2n7yyowUWwerppNGTSDuQ-3D-3D&ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk).