The Armed Forces Festival, hosted by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, is a chance for everyone to show their support for the men and women who make up our Armed Forces community, from currently serving troops and service families, to reservists, veterans, and cadets. Everyone in Leeds is invited to participate and there is something to suit all tastes.

Highlights of the festival include talks and exhibitions hosted by Leeds Museums and Galleries; a special D-Day anniversary music and comedy show at City Varieties; an armed forces career event at Leeds and York Partnership NHS trust; and a special tour of the Thackray Museum of Medicine which served as a First World War military hospital.

Leeds Library Service will also hold a series of events to mark the festival, including exhibitions and lectures by local experts across various sites in Leeds, family history workshops, and a curated online gallery relating to the armed forces on the Leodis photography platform.

During the weekend of 8 and 9 June, the Royal Armouries will be hosting a free D-Day 80 weekend, filled with blank firing demonstrations, poignant performance pieces taken from first-hand accounts of those on the beaches of Normandy and technical talks surrounding the weapon development during the Second World War.

The festival will culminate in the main Armed Forces Day event on Sunday 30 June, packed with family-friendly activities, parades, stalls, exhibitions, and music. In a change to previous years, the flag-raising event which usually takes place the Saturday before Armed Forces Day will now take place on the day itself, adding to the pomp and ceremony.

 Up-to-date details of all the Armed Forces Festival events can be found at: https://www.millsqleeds.com/leeds-armed-forces-day/