Wartime Variety Show will capture 1940s vibe

The day-long garden party on Friday 29 August will feature “live music, dance and vintage fun” for all the family.

It comes hot on the heels of national commemorations earlier in the month for VJ Day – Victory over Japan. Erewash council joined in by lighting beacons outside Long Eaton’s Town Hall and in Ilkeston’s Victoria Park.

The tributes marked eight decades since WW2 officially ended on 15 August 1945 – and followed similar beacons being lit on VE Day in May.

The end-of-summer Wartime Variety Show at Erewash Museum will feature performers paying tribute to the likes of Vera Lynn, Gracie Fields, the Andrews Sisters, Flanagan & Allen and George Formby.

Revellers are encouraged to get into the spirit by wearing 1940s-style garb. The heritage and culture hub near Ilkeston Market Place has been holding regular workshops for visitors to help make a “Bunting of Peace Community Creation” in the run-up to the event.

Entry to the variety show is £8 for adults and £2 for children – with under-twos free. Tickets are available at Eventbrite or can be purchased in person at the museum.

The day before – on Thursday 28 August – the museum’s garden will be hosting another fun event which is free. It is aimed at children and is billed as featuring “aerial workshops, circus skills and bubbles”. 

Erewash Borough Council’s Deputy Leader Becca Everett, who is Lead Member for Community Engagement, said: “There are always fascinating and fun things happening at our award-winning museum, which has just undergone a major refurbishment.

“With 2025 being such an incredibly special year we expect the Wartime Variety Show to be yet another highlight of its events calendar.”