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In 2014 the Tower of London was transformed with tens of thousands of ceramic poppies to commemorate Victory in Europe Day. This VE Day the landmark poppy exhibition will make a comeback to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, using flowers from the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ exhibition that took place more than 10 years ago.
This year’s installation won’t be on as grand a scale, but it will use poppies from the 2014 artwork that saw the Tower encircled by a ‘sea’ of flowers and was visited by more than five million people.
From May 6 2025, visitors will be able to see 30,000 poppies, on loan from Imperial War Museum, arranged in a new display designed by Tom Piper. The 2025 artwork will resemble a ‘wound’ at the heart of the Tower, which was itself bombed during the Blitz.
‘Poppies will pour across the lawn overlooked by the ancient White Tower, where the blood-red flowers will form a crater, with ripples flowing outwards. The installation, on display within the Tower’s walls, will create striking images, reminding us of the sacrifice and loss of war, and of the long-lasting impact of conflict,’ the Tower of London described.
The installation inside the tower will be included as part of Tower of London admission (£35.80 for adults, £17.90 for children). A small part of the display will be visible from the public footpath, which does not require a ticket. It will run from May 6 until November 11, 2025. Tickets are available online here.
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