2024 marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day and with Hampshire playing a prominent role in Operation Overlord, the county will see a number of major special events and exhibitions taking place.
Hampshire was the starting place for many troops travelling to the beaches in Normandy and many locations throughout the county were used as temporary bases before D-Day. Today you can visit many of these sites including Southwick House and the D-Day Map Room where the planning and execution of Operation Overlord took place.
On the 5th of June, the world's eyes will fall onto Portsmouth who are leading the UK’s D-Day commemorative events.
D-Day events in Hampshire
A full guide to Hampshire’s D-Day events can be found below.
D-Day attractions in Hampshire
As well as a jam-packed programme of special D-Day commemorative events, Hampshire is home to several attractions with D-Day connections that can be visited all year round.
The D-Day Story on Southsea seafront is the only museum in the UK dedicated to the Allied invasion in June 1944. The museum contains exhibitions, galleries and interactive displays telling the story of D-Day from a military and civilian viewpoint.
Visit Southwick House where the planning for Operation Overlord took place and see the large specially produced wall map on which progress of the operation was plotted. This is a unique experience and visits must be booked in advance through
The Royal Military Police Museum.
Lepe Country Park in the
New Forest National Park was used to launch the famous floating Mulberry Harbours and visitors can still see their remains. This picturesque country park offers a great day out for the whole family, with views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will be marking D-Day 80 by highlighting stories, events and D-Day related parts of the attraction. And No.6 Cinema within the Dockyard will be showing several D-Day films and talks. At the
Royal Navy Submarine Museum throughout June you can discover the crucial role the x-class submarines played in the build-up to D-Day.
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
