The official ‘Switch On’ takes place at 6pm on Friday 29 November

The Bay of Lights is right around the corner with just one week to go until the celebration arrives and the whole Bay is transformed with illuminations and festivities. 

The Bay of Lights is a Bay-wide initiative which incorporates everything from the Illumination Trail in Torquay, Brixham Lanterns, Lights & Illuminations across the bay, the Christmas Train of Lights from Paignton as well as seasonal events at local attractions including Kents Cavern and Model Village.  

One of the main stars of the show is the 1.5-mile Illumination Trail which returns to Torquay for its third year. A special opening night and official ‘switch on’ of the Bay of Lights Illumination Trail will take place at 6pm on Friday 29 November at the new Harbourside Stage on the Strand in Torquay.

Razzmatazz Youth Theatre will kick off the event with an exciting live performance before the lights are officially turned on at 6:20pm. The Worshipful, The Mayor of Torbay, BBC Radio Devon and guests will be leading the countdown, followed by an evening of live music until 9pm. Entry to the event is free and everyone is welcome to join the festive fun.

The Illumination Trail, which is free and accessible to all, will light up Torquay's seafront, Torre Abbey and harbourside every evening from Friday 29 November 2024 until Thursday 2 January 2025. The light installations will run daily from 4.30pm, with sound elements until 9.30pm and lighting until 11pm.

Eighteen large installations will adorn the trail with a new LED light fountain, 1,000 colour changing hand placed flowers, pixel pads and a giant walk-through Christmas present, as well as some of the original favourites.

To view the Trail Map and plan your route visit: www.illuminationtrail.co.uk

The Bay of Lights Illumination Trail is made possible by Torbay Council, The English Riviera Bid Company, SWISCo, the creator of the light displays Future Technical Solutions (FTS), and media partners Big Wave Marketing.

New for 2024

This year’s Bay of Lights is full of new additions to attract visitors and showcase the very best of what the English Riviera has to offer this winter. 

There will be free, live music at the newly created public realm space on the Strand, Torquay, for visitors to enjoy. Local artists will be performing on the Harbourside stage from 6pm to 9pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until Saturday 21 December, with a special opening night on Friday 29 November from 6pm (mentioned above). To view the line up visit our website: Bay of Lights - Harbourside Stage - Torbay Council

Another new addition is Torquay’s first Christmas market which takes place from Friday 29 November to Saturday 22 December at Torre Abbey.  With over 30 local stalls, fun family activities, and two large, covered areas, it’s the perfect place to soak up the festive atmosphere and enjoy some Christmas shopping.

While visiting, you can also enjoy the Torre Abbey light show which will be projected onto the front of the historic building. The spectacular 3D display is the perfect starting point for the Illumination Trail and celebrates the building’s rich heritage, telling the story of 800 years of Christmas at the Abbey.

Sponsor a Flower

Show someone you care this Christmas by sponsoring a flower in this year’s Illumination Trail. For just £10, you can sponsor an LED flower in someone’s name. The flowers form part of the stunning Glowing Gardens display in the sunken gardens. It makes the perfect early Christmas present or is a lovely way to commemorate a friend or loved one while supporting a great cause.

Fifty percent of the proceeds will go to funding next year’s Illumination Trail and the other 50% will go to the Mayor of Torbay Council’s chosen charities: Play Torbay and The Fisherman’s Mission. To sponsor a flower or to find out more visit www.illuminationtrail.co.uk

The name you choose will be displayed at the sunken gardens and sponsors will receive a digital certificate to recognise their donations. Please note that sponsors do not keep the flowers.

Parking

For the sixth consecutive year, we are offering our ‘Pay for an hour, stay for the day’ parking promotion. The offer will run from Friday 29 November 2024 to Thursday 2 January 2025 in selected Torbay Council car parks.

The promotion allows you to enjoy the best of our town centres during the festive period. You and your family can fully explore what the main towns and surrounding areas have to offer – without worrying that your parking will expire. The offer will run alongside the dates for the Bay of Lights Illumination Trail, allowing you to explore this magical attraction throughout the season.

The offer will run from 29 November 2024 to 2 January 2025 (inclusive) at the following car parks:

Torquay – Lower Union Lane , Union Square (closes at 7pm) and Harbour

Paignton – Victoria multi-storey and Hyde Road (temporary car park)

Brixham – Central (up to the maximum stay), Freshwater and Oxen Cove

The fee will cover parking from when you arrive until midnight the same day (excluding Union Square which closes at 7pm, and Brixham Central which limits parking time to a maximum of three hours between 7am and 3pm). Fees are in line with zone charges.

For Lower Union Lane, payment should be on entry and not when leaving the car park.

All welcome

Cllr Jacqueline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Culture & Events and Corporate Services at Torbay Council said: “There’s just a week to go until the Bay of Lights returns and transforms our beautiful English Riviera into a stunning celebration of Christmas.

‘‘We’re delighted that we’ve once again been able to make the Illumination Trail accessible and free to all, ensuring that everyone can take part and enjoy it. We are thrilled to introduce so many new activities this year, such as the Christmas Market and live music.

‘‘Please do take advantage of our parking offer, explore the Illumination Trail and get involved in the festivities. It’s a wonderful time of year for the Bay and we want as many people as possible to enjoy the celebrations.’’

Carolyn Custerson, Chief Executive Officer of the English Riviera BID Company said: ‘’Excitement is building now as we see the start of the Bay of Lights Illumination Trail being set up. The English Riviera BID Company is delighted in continuing to sponsor this great winter event with visitors expected from across the South West as a result of all the media coverage secured this year.’’

On Friday 22 November, Brixham will celebrate its Christmas Lights Switch on with ‘Lanterns, Lights and ‘luminations’. Organised by Brixham Town Council, the event has traditionally included a magical lantern parade, an incredible firework display, live music, street entertainment, and a street market.

Details of all Bay of Lights events can be found on the English Riviera website.