West Ham United and London Stadium will commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day this evening by lighting up London Stadium and joining people across the country at 8pm to Light the Darkness in remembrance of the millions of innocent victims of genocide.
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is held each year on 27 January, marking the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and death camp. It provides an important moment to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, and the hundreds and thousands of others from targeted groups, killed as a result of Nazi persecution. The day also commemorates those who suffered and were murdered in more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
The Holocaust threatened the very fabric of civilisation, and Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us that prejudice, discrimination and targeted persecution must still be challenged wherever they occur, including here in the UK. In a world that can often feel fragile and divided, the day calls on all of us to confront hatred, stand up to injustice and refuse to be complacent.
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2026, ‘Bridging Generations’, is a call to action, reminding us that the responsibility of remembrance does not end with the survivors. Instead, it is carried forward through their children, grandchildren and through all of us.
As time moves us further away from the Holocaust and from the other genocides remembered on HMD, there is a growing risk that memory fades and the reality of what happened becomes blurred or questioned. Bridging Generations highlights the crucial role of younger generations in preserving memory, learning from the past and ensuring that those lessons shape the present and the future.
The theme also reflects the power of intergenerational dialogue – listening to those who came before us, honouring their experiences and sharing their stories with those who come after. In doing so, remembrance becomes more than reflection; it becomes a bridge between history and hope.
Genocide does not discriminate by age. Infants, children, adults and the elderly have all endured unimaginable suffering, and in many cases entire family lines were erased. Bridging Generations invites us to honour every life, including those who left no family behind to carry their legacy – legacies that live on through testimony, education, books, films and collective memory.
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, London Stadium will be lit this evening, joining others across the country in the national Light the Darkness moment at 8pm, standing together in remembrance and solidarity and urging people to light the darkness together by lighting a candle in your window at 8pm on 27 January, to remember, reflect, empathise and help build a better future.
