One of thousands being lit in the UK and the Commonwealth, the Beacon forms part of the official programme announced by Buckingham Palace for the Jubilee Weekend.

The Beacon will be lit at Durlston Castle in Swanage on Thursday 2 June, and it will be one of over 2,022 lit by charities, communities and faith groups all over the UK.

Residents are invited to join in the celebrations at Durlston Castle and are encouraged to bring a picnic. Hot and cold drinks will be available to purchase. MoreBus will be running a service on the evening.

In addition, beacons will be lit in all 54 Commonwealth capitals and the Principal Beacon lighting will take place in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening. This will take the form of a lighting installation with The Queen’s Green Canopy ’Tree of Trees’ sculpture and projections onto the front of Buckingham Palace. This innovative new way of taking part in the beacon lighting will reflect the Royal Family’s long history championing environmental causes.

Timeline for many Beacons lightings, although events might change at individual locations

• At 2pm hundreds of town criers and 50 Pearly Kings and Queens will announce a specially-written Proclamation heralding the lighting of the beacons later that day.
• At 9.35pm local time across the UK and Commonwealth, traditional and Northumbrian pipers and pipe bands will play Diu Regnare, a unique tune specially written for the occasion by Piper Major, Stuart Liddell, the world’s leading piper.
• At 9.40pm buglers linked to local beacon lightings across the UK and the capital cities of the Commonwealth will officially announce the lighting of the beacons with a specially written bugle call, entitled Majesty.
• Then at 9.45pm exactly local time, and to coincide with the lighting of the beacons, community choirs across all nations will sing Song for the Commonwealth, which has been written and composed by Lucy Keily, from Australia and Vincent Atueyi Chinemelu from Nigeria.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons and Associated Activities have been conceived and organised by Pageantmaster Bruno Peek and his dedicated team.

More information on what’s happening across Dorset for the Jubilee weekend can be found on Dorset Council’s website.  https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/your-community/queens-platinum-jubilee-dorset