Victory in Europe Day – France

The next Victory in Europe Day is on Saturday, May 8, 2027 – in 235 days.

In France it's a public holiday, so schools, government offices and most businesses close.

When is it? Victory in Europe Day falls on the same date every year, May 8. The date itself never changes, but the day of the week does, and that decides whether you get a long weekend out of it. Next time round is Saturday, May 8, 2027, 235 days from now.

Which weekday does it land on? Across the eleven years in the table, Victory in Europe Day lands twice on a Thursday, twice on a Tuesday, twice on a Monday and twice on a Saturday. In three of those it sits next to a weekend, turning it into a three-day break. Those are the years to book early. You can open the printable calendar for any year in the table and see the date in context.

What to expect on the day. Banks, government offices and schools close. Supermarkets and larger shops usually open on reduced hours, smaller independents often don't bother, and public transport tends to run a Sunday timetable. Post isn't collected or delivered. If you need something from a council, a bank or a doctor's surgery, the working day before it is the one to aim for, and it will be busier than usual for exactly that reason. In 2027 it falls in May, which also holds Labour Day (Fête du Travail) on the 1st, Ascension Day on the 6th, Whit Sunday (Pentecost) on the 16th and Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte) on the 17th. Worth seeing them together before you commit to dates.

Putting it in your own calendar. You don't need to. Every calendar on this site already shows Victory in Europe Day for whichever country you've selected. What's worth adding is everything around it: the travel, the cover arrangements, who's visiting when. Open the month, click the days and type. Keep a free account and the notes stay with you between devices, and you can send someone a read-only link so you're both working from the same dates.

Every date here is worked out from the official rule rather than copied off a list, so the later years are as reliable as this one. If a date looks wrong for your region, please say so. Regional holiday rules do change, and we'd rather fix the rule than leave it.

Victory in Europe Day dates 2026–2036