Armed Forces Flag raised today as Drake Circus joins in with week-long celebrations

Plymouth’s Drake Circus is preparing to mark Armed Forces Week 2025 with a week-long celebration of 'colour, creativity and community pride'

Plymouth shopping destination Drake Circus, pictured, is staging a week of local armed forces-themed celebrations ahead of Saturday's Armed Forces Day event on the Hoe
Author: Andrew KayPublished 23rd Jun 2025

The Armed Forces Flag will be raised outside Plymouth Guildhall this morning - marking the start of Armed Forces Week.

Drake Circus has a week-long celebration planned, ahead of major events on the Hoe on Saturday.

What is happening today?

The Armed Forces Flag will be raised outside the Plymouth Guildhall (on Monday 23 June 2025) at 10am at a formal ceremony, marking the start of Armed Forces Week. The flag will fly in Plymouth all week in celebration of our military personnel, past and present. Please note there will be a road closure in place on Armada Way between Princess Street and the Guildhall public car park from 8.30am to 11.30am on 23 June 2025.

What is happening at Drake Circus?

Plymouth’s Drake Circus is preparing to mark Armed Forces Week 2025 with a week-long celebration of 'colour, creativity and community pride – honouring those who serve, and the families who support them'.

(From Monday 23 June to Sunday 29 June) The shopping centre will be filled with powerful public art, performance and messages of thanks, all paying tribute to Plymouth’s Armed Forces community – past and present.

At the heart of the week’s activities is a striking in-centre installation, created in partnership with Military Kids Club Heroes and Future Fit Junior Field Gun. Dozens of local schoolchildren from military families have decorated real Junior Field Fun wheels, each reflecting the theme of ‘Life in a Forces Family’. The wheels will go on public display on walls across the first floor of Drake Circus (near to car park exit level 1) during Armed Forces Week, with a prize awarded to the most impactful design at an in-centre prizegiving on Thursday 26 June 2025.

Alongside the display, pupils are also contributing individual 2D artworks, exploring what it means to grow up in a forces-connected home.

What is happening on Armed Forces Day?

More details for the event on Saturday June 28 can be found here and this year’s line-up includes an all-day arena and stage programme, parades, hands-on displays , challenges, military vehicles, equipment and demonstrations

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