D-Day 80: Portsmouth residents will be unable to watch the Southsea Common events on a big screen

Organisers of the MoD-led event have confirmed that, unlike the hugely successful D-Day 75 events, there will be no big screening of the June 5 commemorations on the common for those people unable to get free tickets for either the daytime or evening events.

This is in stark contract to the D-Day 75 commemorations where residents flocked to another part of the common outside the cordoned area to be close to the official commemorations. There they could watch the events live on the big screen - creating a real community event.

At the time this was was amidst tight security with many senior members of the Royal family - including the Queen and the then Prince Charles, as well as world leaders - including Donald Trump - being among the invited guests at the official event.

An MoD spokesperson told The News that security reasons and an ‘overwhelming interest’ has meant that not everyone who has expressed an interest in the D-Day commemorations has been able to secure a free ticket.

However they have declined to answer when asked why a public screening on the common was possible at the D-Day 75 event in 2019, but not at the D-Day 80 events.

Instead in a statement they said: “Thousands of members of the public have secured free tickets to the national commemorations of the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth in June. We have also reserved spaces for hundreds of children from Portsmouth schools to ensure the message of D-Day reaches a whole new generation.”

As previously reported by The News, two public events are taking place on June 5 where 6,000 free tickets were made available to the public to attend. Tickets for the daytime event were snapped up in minutes, with tickets for the evening event also being quickly secured by residents too. This is despite very little being known about what will be happening as part of the itinerary for either event.

Members of the public who did not receive a ticket have been told by the organisers they will instead be able to watch the entire commemorations live on BBC One, with no public vantage point possible.

The disappointing news for residents comes just a week after a large portion of the common was completely fenced off by BBC Studios, which is producing the event for the BBC, for the preparations despite the event itself being four weeks away.

However Portsmouth residents are being encouraged to go along to the free Armed Forces Day event on June 8 on Southsea Common and opportunity to come together and celebrate our armed forces community.

Organised by the city council, the event will feature a full Red Arrows display across the Solent, a Royal Navy parachute jump, military parades and vehicles, live music and children’s entertainment and activities.

Other events commemoration D-Day 80 include the weekend event at Daedalus Airfield on June 8 and 9, and a commemorative event on Hayling Island on June 8.