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London, 27 January. On Monday, 27 January, iconic landmarks across the United Kingdom, including 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh Castle, and Stormont have been lit up in purple as part of the annual national ‘Light the Darkness’ moment to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

His Majesty The King lit a candle with Holocaust survivor, Manfred Goldberg, at Buckingham Palace in support of Light the Darkness ahead of his visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau today.

Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust alongside the millions of others who were murdered under Nazi persecution. In the UK, Holocaust Memorial Day also commemorates those who were killed in more recent genocides recognised by the UK government and Darfur.

From 8pm, prominent buildings in all four nations of the UK were lit up in purple in a moment of national solidarity to honour the victims of the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and more recent genocides recognised by the UK government in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and against the Yazidis, as well as the genocide in Darfur.

Landmarks included:

London

* 10 Downing Street, SW1A 2AA

* Bank of England, EC2R 8AH

* Houses of Parliament, SW1A 0AA

* HMS Belfast, SE1 2JH

* Imperial War Museum, SE1 6HZ

* Liverpool Street Station over the Kindertransport statue, EC2M 7PY

* London Eye, SE1 7PB

* National Theatre, SE1 9PX

* Tower 42, EC2N 1HN

* Westminster Abbey, SW1P 3PA

Liverpool

* Cunard Building, L3 1EL

* Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, L3 4AX

* Liverpool Town Hall, L2 3SW

* Royal Albert Dock, L3 4AA

* Royal Liver Building, L3 1HU

* St George’s Hall, L1 1JJ

Leeds

* Leeds Civic Hall, LS1 1UR

* Leeds Town Hall, LS1 3AD

* Leeds City Museum, LS2 8BH

York

* Clifford’s Tower, YO1 9SA

Newcastle

* Civic Centre, NE1 8QH

* Sunderland

* Fulwell Windmill, SR5 1QD

* Beacon of Light, SR5 1SN

* Northern Spire Bridge, SR5 3XG

* Penshaw Monument, DH4 7NJ

* Silksworth Colliery Pit Wheel, SR3 1BW

Scotland

* Edinburgh Castle, EH1 2NG

* Royal College of Physicians, EH2 1JQ

Wales

* Cardiff Castle, CF10 3RB

* Castell Coch, CF15 7JS

* Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, CF10 3NQ

Northern Ireland

* Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, BT36 5QA

* Belfast City Hall, BT1 5GS

* Derry City Council Hall, BT48 7NN

* Magee University Music Building, Ulster University, BT48 7NN

* Playhouse Derry, BT48 6RG

* Ranfurly House, Dungannon, BT70 1AB

* Stormont, BT4 3XX

The 'Light the Darkness' initiative was accompanied by a powerful creative campaign designed by St. Luke's, an independent creative agency. This year, in collaboration with Ocean Outdoor, their compelling campaign has featured as part of the iconic Piccadilly Lights billboard. JCDecaux Community Channel is also partnering with HMDT to display the campaign on digital Out-of-Home screens at key roadside and rail locations, including London Liverpool Street Station.

People across the United Kingdom were invited to join the commemorations at home by safely lighting a candle and putting it in their window at 8pm.

Speaking about the Light the Darkness national moment, Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, CEO of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said, "Each year on Holocaust Memorial Day, we pause to remember the six million Jews systematically murdered during the Holocaust and those killed in the genocides recognised as such by the government, and in Darfur. This year, marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the sight of the UK’s most iconic landmarks glowing in purple, alongside lit candles in windows across the country, serves as a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to stand against hatred and prejudice in all its forms. We are deeply thankful to every landmark participating in the Light the Darkness campaign and to our generous partners, Ocean Outdoor and JCDecaux, for their unwavering support in encouraging the nation to light the darkness.”

Ed Palmer, Managing Director of St. Luke’s, added, “We're honoured once again to play a part in Holocaust Memorial Day, especially in this important 80th anniversary year. Now more than ever, we hope the message 'for a better future' prompts reflection on the Holocaust and other genocides of the past, as well as hope for a better future.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. For media enquiries, please contact Lizzie Lloyd at lizzie@atalanta.co or +447855396700.

2. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is the charity established and funded by the UK Government to promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in the UK.

3. Holocaust Memorial Day is marked each year on January 27th. It is the international day on 27 January to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides recognised as such by the government (Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and that of the Yazidi people), and people murdered in Darfur.

4. More information about HMDT, and events happening to commemorate HMD in 2025, can be found at www.hmd.org.uk.

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