As dawn breaks across the country, millions of people will pause to mark Anzac Day in tribute to the men and women who have served in Australia’s defence forces.

Solemn dawn services will be held from suburban parks to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and overseas from the shores of Gallipoli to the fields of Villers-Brettoneux in France.

The rest of the day will be marked by parades and wreath-laying events, followed by the usual long-weekend celebrations.

In Sydney, veterans will gather for an annual dawn service in Sydney’s Martin Place at 4.20am.

In Melbourne, there will be a dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance at 5.30am, and Brisbane’s own commemoration will begin at 4.28am.

Active members of the ADF and the families of former members will later march in the traditional Anzac Day marches.

At Anzac Cove in Gallipoli, a dawn service will be held at the site of Australia’s most famous action in World War I.

This will be broadcast live in Australia at 12.30pm on the ABC.

At 1.30pm, a live broadcast of the Villers-Bretonneux Dawn Service will be shown from the Australian National Memorial in France.

Millions of people will participate in the days’ events, while the entire country enjoys the second long weekend in a row.

The roads will be busy, some of the shops will be closed, and some states will have double demerit points in force for road offences.