Iconic British landmarks bathed in purple light to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

The Houses of Parliament, Wembley Stadium and the London Eye are among iconic British landmarks bathed in purple at the country marks Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD).

At 8pm, the nation will pause for a moment of reflection by lighting candles in their homes, after a day of tributes and memorials, featuring the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and communal organisations.

The initiative is based on this year’s theme of Be The Light In The Darkness, and includes more than 25 locations across Country, from Blackpool Tower and the Imperial War Museums to Canterbury Cathedral and Durham Castle, as well as billboards.

This year’s HMD theme was decided 18 months ago before the global pandemic, which has seen disruption in all areas of life – including Holocaust education and survivor testimony – which has been moved into the virtual world.

Speaking ahead of HMD, Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said: “As with everything else, we’ve had to change how we mark Holocaust Memorial Day this year. Our priority was to keep contributors, especially Holocaust survivors, safe.

“We are so grateful to everyone who made HMD happen this year: the government, celebrity readers, landmarks and billboards that lit up in purple – and to people across the UK who put candles in their windows. It has enabled everyone – despite the pandemic – to learn from genocide for a better future’.” 

A virtual ceremony will also be presented by the BBC’s Naga Munchetty, featuring Premier League stars giving a message of unity against racism, and messages from political and religious figures, as well as celebrity readers including as Bear Grylls, Rob Rinder and Tobias Menzies.