Oxford will hold public services for Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day next week, with St Giles’ closed to traffic for Sunday’s ceremony at the War Memorial.
The Remembrance Sunday service begins at 10.45am on Sunday 8 November 2026 and will include British Sign Language interpretation. A separate Armistice Day ceremony takes place at Oxford Town Hall at 10.50am on Wednesday 11 November, ahead of the national two-minute silence at 11am.
Remembrance Sunday at the War Memorial
Residents will join veterans, cadets, civic leaders, faith representatives and community organisations at the War Memorial in St Giles’ to remember those who died, were injured or have been affected by war.
The ceremony will include the Last Post, a two-minute silence, wreath laying and hymns, alongside prayers and readings from Oxford’s faith and belief communities.
This year’s service will also be attended by the Choir of the General Tadeusz Kościuszko Land Forces Academy from Wrocław, Poland.
Oxford City Council’s announcement gives the service start as 10.45am. Anyone attending should allow time to reach the memorial before the ceremony begins, particularly with road and pavement closures in place.
Road closures and pedestrian diversions
Road closures and parking suspensions will operate between 12.01am and 2pm on Sunday 8 November, according to the council.
The whole of St Giles’ will be closed, along with sections of Banbury Road, Beaumont Street, Keble Road, Blackhall Road, and Magdalen Street East and West.
The pavement on Banbury Road opposite the War Memorial will also be closed. Pedestrians are advised to follow the signed diversions or use Woodstock Road.
People travelling into Oxford should plan around the closures and check their bus operator’s service updates before setting out.
Armistice Day at Oxford Town Hall
The Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Chewe Munkonge, will lead the Armistice Day ceremony on the landing at the top of the main staircase in Oxford Town Hall.
Members of the public are welcome at the short service, which begins at 10.50am on Wednesday 11 November. The City Rector, the Reverend Anthony Buckley, will lead a prayer before the two-minute silence at 11am.
Armistice Day marks the end of fighting in the First World War on 11 November 1918. Remembrance Sunday provides a wider occasion to remember those affected by past and present conflicts.
In a statement, Councillor Munkonge said: “Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday offer an opportunity for us to come together in gratitude and remembrance. They remind us of the extraordinary dedication and sacrifice shown by generations of service personnel and the loved ones who supported them.”
He added: “I encourage everyone across Oxford to take a moment to remember, reflect and honour their service.”
