Celebrations marking the end of World War II kick off in Wageningen

Liberation dayCelebrations marking the end of World War II kicked off in Wageningen at midnight when the freedom flame was lit.

From Wageningen, where the Germans agreed and signed the capitulation in 1945, the flame is being be taken all over the country by a team of 5,000 runners from 200 different local authority areas.

Israeli author David Grossman will give this year’s Liberation Day speech in Vlissingen, which signals the formal start of the festivities.

Later, Liberation Day festivals featuring top pop acts will take place – one in each province and one in Amsterdam. This year’s festival ambassadors are Caro Emerald, Dotan, Jett Rebel and MainStreet who will each perform at several of the events.

The Amsterdam concert, which takes place on a floating stage on the Amstel river in the evening, will be broadcast live on television and features Herman van Veen, Claudia de Breij and Giovanca.

There are also numerous local events on the schedule.

Weather

The KNMI weather bureau has issued a code yellow weather warning for the entire country on Tuesday because of the risk of heavy showers with hail and strong winds at times.

The morning is set to be mainly dry and warm with some sunny spells, but by the early afternoon, blustery showers will move in with strong winds, particularly in the IJsselmeer area. Festival-goers are being urged to take rain coats and ponchos rather than umbrellas to protect them from the weather.

The tradition of the freedom flame dates back to 1945, when a group of people from Eindhoven brought it back from the French town of Bayeux in Normandy. Bayeux was the first place to be liberated following D-Day in 1944.

This year the freedom flame was replenished from Portsmouth in England. The flame was brought back by a group of World War II veterans who visited the port city last week.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation