80th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War

A truck of revellers passing through the Strand, London, 8 May 1945.
IWM (HU 41808)
VE Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945.

Across IWM sites - Spring, Summer and Autumn 2025

IWM will be marking key moments from 1945 in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

This will include reflections on the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, VE Day, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, VJ Day and the Nuremberg Trials. 

IWM will explore the profound impact these events had on lives around the world, offering an examination of the Second World War’s enduring legacies.

IWM’s programming, which will be announced in the run-up to the anniversaries, will examine these critical events, exploring their lasting impact on the world and the ongoing legacies of the Second World War.  

25th Anniversary of the Lifting of the Ban on LGBT Personnel Serving in the UK Armed Forces

Close up of military uniform showing multicoloured military decoration.
© IWM
25th Anniversary of the Lifting of the Ban on LGBT Personnel Serving in the UK Armed Forces.

IWM North and IWM London, 11 and 12 January 2025 

On 12 January 2000, the UK Government lifted the ban on LGBT personnel serving in the armed forces. It followed a lengthy legal battle and a case heard before the European Court of Human Rights. 

IWM is partnering with Fighting with Pride to present panel discussions and live choir performances at IWM North and IWM London. LGBT armed forces veterans will tell their stories of discrimination, fear, and the lasting suffering caused by the ban. 

Chila Kumari Singh Burman: Chila Welcomes You

Colorful graffiti art with the text "Disobey their power comes from our obedience" in bold, overlapping red and blue letters.
© Chila Kumari Singh Burman
Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Drawing for neon light installation – ‘Disobey – their power comes from our obedience’, 2024.

IWM North, 30 January - 31 August 2025

A large-scale neon installation on the façade of IWM North will be unveiled as part of a major new commission and exhibition from Chila Burman. Chila Welcomes You responds to themes around the Indian independence movement and the Partition of India (1947) and explores individual and collective histories of Indian migration to the UK.

Burman is commissioned as part of the IWM 14-18 Now Legacy Fund.

Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict

Poster administered by Mansudae Art Studio, Pyongyang. Text translation: “No! Rid the twenty-first century of sexual violence”.
Art.IWM PST 9379
Poster administered by Mansudae Art Studio, Pyongyang. Text translation: “No! Rid the twenty-first century of sexual violence”.

IWM London, 23 May 2025 – 2 November 2025 

IWM’s powerful new exhibition will shine a light on the often-silenced issue of sexual violence in conflict. Through this exhibition, IWM considers the contexts in which sexual violence occurs in conflict, exploring how propaganda shapes perceptions of gender and power. 

The exhibition will foreground the untold stories of child evacuees, victims of trafficking, prisoners of war, and survivors from the First World War to present-day conflicts. 

It will also highlight the ongoing efforts of those fighting for justice and working to prevent conflict-related sexual violence. By increasing public awareness and understanding, Unsilenced aims to empower survivors, inform visitors, and contribute towards meaningful change in the fight against sexual violence in conflict. 

Flying Season 2025

Aerosuperbatics team in formation with smoke
© IWM
Duxford Summer Air Show 2025.

IWM Duxford, May – October 2025 

IWM Duxford’s 2025 Flying Programme will be back and bigger than ever next year with a series of uniquely themed Flying Days, Flying Evening and Flying Finale on various dates from May to October and our two annual Air Shows.

The Duxford Summer Air Show will take place on 21 – 22 June, and the Battle of Britain Air Show will take place on 6 and 7 September, marking the 85th anniversary of this historic battle. Both weekend events will feature an array of entertaining ground content and signature aerial displays. 

Emergency Exits: The fight for independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus

A member of the Malayan Home Guard mans a check point on the edge of a town.
IWM (K 14435)
The Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960.

IWM London, 17 October 2025 – 12 April 2026 

Sharing lesser-known stories from IWM’s collections, Emergency Exits is IWM’s first exhibition to explore the wave of independence movements that followed the end of the Second World War, as many of Britain’s former imperial territories gained independence. 

The exhibition will focus on three significant conflicts - fought in Malaya (now Malaysia), Kenya and Cyprus, known by the British Government at the time as ‘Emergencies’, shedding light on the brutal and lasting impact on those involved. 

By examining how the Second World War set the stage for these movements and how its end prompted millions across the empire to seek new futures, the exhibition will explore the roles and motivations of key figures, the responses of British colonial authorities, and how these conflicts were fought.

More events

  • IWM Institute

    IWM London and Online, spring 2025
    The IWM Institute Annual Lecture will take place in Spring 2025 at IWM London, discussing and exploring the subject of sexual violence in conflict.

    The IWM Institute will also programme a half-day Symposium on the subject in Summer 2025 featuring leading historians, human rights advocates and survivors. 

  • New Big Picture Show

    IWM North, October 2025  
    IWM will launch a brand-new Big Picture Show at IWM North to mark the 80th anniversary of the fifth Pan African Congress, held in Manchester in October 1945. 

    IWM North’s award-winning 360-degree cinematic shows use surround sound, moving images and photographs to create a powerful and immersive experience.  

  • Family activities

    Activities for all the family continue every weekend and throughout the school holidays at IWM London, IWM North, IWM Duxford and HMS Belfast. 

Continuing from 2024

Explore exhibitions and events which continue from 2024. 

Teaser image - War and the Mind
© Crown Copyright, GLF 396 detail
Exhibitions
IWM London

War and the Mind

27 September 2024 to 27 April 2025
teaser image - Beware Blue Skies
© Human Studio
Exhibitions
IWM London

Beware Blue Skies: The Psychology of Drone Warfare

7 November 2024 to 16 March 2025
A cartoon hand makes a "v for Victory" sign
Exhibitions
IWM London

Churchill in Cartoons: Satirising a Statesman

29 November 2024 to 23 February 2025

Our museums

IWM tells the story of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since the First World War.

IWM London Exterior shot
© IWM
Museum

IWM London

Our London museum tells the stories of people’s experiences of modern war from WW1 to conflicts today

IWM North
IWM
Museum

IWM North

Visit our iconic museum in Manchester and explore how war affects people’s lives.

IWM Duxford Showcase
©IWM
Museum

IWM Duxford

Visit Imperial War Museum Duxford for a huge day out. See Spitfires take to the skies from the airfield where they first flew, get up close to gigantic aircraft and walk in the footsteps of the men and women who served here.

Winston Churchill
IWM
Museum

Churchill War Rooms

Explore the underground headquarters that between 1939 - 1945 acted as the top-secret nerve centre from where Churchill and his inner circle determined the course of the Second World War.

HMS Belfast
© IWM
Museum

HMS Belfast

Step on board this iconic London landmark. Navigate your way around the rooms of this floating city, climbing up and down ladders to visit all nine decks.