The Somme keeps its dates. The anniversaries of 1 July 1916, Anzac Day and the Armistice draw people back to the same memorials every year. Here are the next ones, with times where the organisers have published them. If a ceremony is why you are planning a Somme Battlefields reservation, book early: these are the busiest days on the ridges.
The next ceremonies are in November. On Sunday 8 November 2026, Veterans Affairs Canada holds its remembrance ceremony at the Vimy Memorial. That is in the Pas-de-Calais, not on the Somme, but the Canadian days take you there.
On Wednesday 11 November 2026, the Armistice ceremony at Lochnagar Crater begins at noon. It is part of the village's tour of its memorials, which starts at 10 am at the war memorial in Ovillers. Everyone is invited, on site or by the crater's livestream. The same day, Beaumont-Hamel holds a moment of reflection.
1 July is the anniversary of the first day of the battle. At Lochnagar Crater, a ceremony has been held every year since 1979. It starts at 7:28 am with a maroon and whistles, lasts about an hour, and draws up to 1,500 people. You need to be there by 7:20 am.
Later in the morning, the Royal British Legion holds a service at the Thiepval Memorial: in 2026 it began at 10:30 am. There are services at the Ulster Tower and at Beaumont-Hamel too. In Newfoundland, 1 July is Memorial Day. The ground itself is explained in the history of the battlefields.
The Anzac Day Dawn Service is held at the Australian National Memorial above Villers-Bretonneux. You need a free attendance pass, booked online in advance, and photo ID. You pass through security screening on the way in.
In 2026 the site opened at 2:30 am and the service ran from 5:30 to 6:30 am. The 2027 times have not been published yet. The Sir John Monash Centre behind the memorial is free on any other day.
Vimy Day marks the Canadian attack on Vimy Ridge on 9 April 1917. The ceremony is at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial near Arras. The Canadian days from Lille, Arras and Ypres pair Vimy with Beaumont-Hamel, so you can see both.
Each year a service is held at the 2nd Australian Division Memorial in Péronne. It marks the battle of 31 August to 3 September 1918, when Australians took the hill above the town. The Historial museum is in the same town, in the château.
The next ceremonies in date order. "Not yet published" means the organiser has not released the time yet, so check its page nearer the day.
| Date | Place | Time | Source | Pass needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 November 2026 | Vimy Memorial (Pas-de-Calais) | Check with the organiser | Veterans Affairs Canada | Not stated |
| 11 November 2026 | Lochnagar Crater | Noon; municipal tour from 10 am | Lochnagar Crater Foundation | No: all are invited |
| 11 November 2026 | Beaumont-Hamel | Check with the organiser | Veterans Affairs Canada | Not stated |
| 9 April 2027 | Vimy Memorial | Not yet published | Veterans Affairs Canada | Not stated |
| 25 April 2027 | Villers-Bretonneux | Dawn; 2027 times not yet published | Australian Government (DVA) | Yes, free |
| 1 July 2027 | Lochnagar Crater | 7:28 am; be there by 7:20 | Lochnagar Crater Foundation | No: all are invited |
| 1 July 2027 | Beaumont-Hamel | Not yet published | Veterans Affairs Canada | Check: 2026 was registered attendees only |
| 2 September 2027 | Péronne | Not yet published | Sir John Monash Centre | Not stated |
The 2026 ceremonies, for the record. If you are reading reviews from this summer, these are the days they describe.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2 September 2026 | The Mont Saint-Quentin service at the 2nd Australian Division Memorial, Péronne |
| 1 July 2026 | The 110th anniversary of the Somme: Lochnagar at 7:28 am, the Contalmaison Cairn, Thiepval at 10:30 am, the Ulster Tower, and a parade in Albert |
| 24 June to 3 July 2026 | Beaumont-Hamel under site works; on 1 July, registered attendees only |
| 25 April 2026 | Anzac Day Dawn Service, 5:30 to 6:30 am; the site opened at 2:30 am |
| 9 April 2026 | Vimy Day at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial |
On 1 July, the lanes near Thiepval and La Boisselle fill early. A shared day from Paris cannot reach Lochnagar by 7:28 am, so stay the night before in Albert or Amiens. On 25 April you need your pass before you book anything else.
If you want the memorials quiet, avoid both dates. If you are based in the city, compare Somme battlefield tours from Paris.
A private day can meet you after the service and take you on round the sites.
Every hour, fee and date here comes from the body that runs the site. Hours move with the season, so check yours before you travel.
A private Australian day from your Amiens hotel at 9 am: Pozières, Thiepval, Beaumont-Hamel, the Musée Somme 1916, Le Hamel and Villers-Bretonneux, with every museum entry in the fare.
From $324 per person
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A private Canadian day from your hotel in Ypres at 8:30 am: three hours at Vimy Ridge with the Grange Tunnel, then Courcelette, Lochnagar, Thiepval and Beaumont-Hamel, with lunch in the fare.
From $651 per person
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A small-group day from Café Dada Ternes in Paris at 7 am: Thiepval, Lochnagar, Beaumont-Hamel, Pozières, Villers-Bretonneux and Amiens Cathedral, with entrance fees in the fare and eight guests at most.
From $261 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: check the season on Somme battlefields weather, find your meeting point on how to get there, or compare every day on Somme Battlefields Tours.