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The UK government has revealed plans to establish a new national day dedicated to honoring and remembering those affected by terrorism within the country. Scheduled to be observed annually on 21 August, the event will rotate locations across the UK, with the inaugural ceremony set for 2026, according to the Home Office. This initiative follows a campaign led by families and survivors, including those impacted by the attacks on Westminster Bridge and the Manchester Arena.
While specific details about the first commemoration next summer remain limited, the government has committed to collaborating with victims and survivors to finalize the day’s official name and develop an emblem to represent it. The Home Office emphasized that the day will serve several purposes: to remember those affected by terrorism, encourage victims and survivors to seek specialized support, educate the wider public, and highlight the personal stories of those impacted. Notably, the chosen date aligns with the United Nations’ International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, which has been observed annually since 2017.
Among those advocating for the national day is Travis Frain, a survivor of the Westminster Bridge attack, who expressed that he has “fought tirelessly” to see such a day established to help “educate the next generation.” He stressed the importance of societal recognition and remembrance, noting that “the impacts are often lifelong.” Figen and Stuart Murray, whose son Martyn Hett lost his life in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, echoed this sentiment, highlighting that the day will also honor the “immense courage of survivors,” in addition to commemorating those who have died.
The attacks referenced include the deadly Westminster Bridge incident in 2017, where four people lost their lives after a vehicle was driven into crowds followed by a fatal stabbing of a police officer near Parliament, and the Manchester Arena bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that same year, which resulted in 22 deaths and over 100 injuries. More recently, in October, an attack on a synagogue in Manchester during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur was described by the government as “an evil act of antisemitic terrorism,” claiming two lives. Support for victims and survivors has faced criticism in the past, notably from the group Survivors Against Terror, which in 2023 characterized the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) compensation scheme as “broken” after surveying survivors from multiple attacks. Despite the government stating that CICA paid out £158 million to victims of violent crime in the previous year, a Home Office review concluded that assistance “needs to go further.” Following this, plans for the national day and a specialist trauma support hub expected to open next summer were announced as part of ongoing efforts to improve care for those affected by terrorism
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