Following the huge success of Earth Hour Torbay last year, another very special event is planned on Saturday 25 March. Commissioned by the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark and Torbay Council, residents are being invited to turn off their lights at home and head down to Torre Abbey in Torquay for an hour of unplugged fun and entertainment. 

Earth Hour takes place in 192 countries and territories across the world, in support of people and our planet. Last year, hundreds of people attended Earth Hour Torbay on Torre Abbey Sands, however this year, due to extremely high tides, the event has been moved further inland to the grounds of Torre Abbey.

Participants are encouraged to bring a lantern (instructions on how to make one will be provided online) and meet outside the main gatehouse at 8.30pm to sign the climate pledge and enjoy an hour of unplugged family fun and entertainment. If at all possible, people are also being asked to try and get to the event on foot, by bike or by using public transport.

The festoon lighting along the seafront and also the lights at Torre Abbey will switch off for the hour and it is  hoped that other businesses around the Bay will also support the event by turning off some of their exterior lighting for the duration of Earth Hour. Expect fire and light acts, stilt walkers drumming, fun and games and even a Disco in the Dark to add some magic to the night. A special piece of light up artwork will also be revealed when the lights are switched off.

In alignment with the UNESCO Global Geopark remit to support the 17 UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals and Torbay Council having declared a climate emergency, Earth Hour is a global event that sees millions of people around the world turn off their lights to celebrate our planet and highlight the need to be more environmentally friendly.

This event has been funded by Torbay Council and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark and delivered by Tonic Creatives.

Torbay Council is working with a range of local partners through the Torbay Climate Partnership to help make Torbay Carbon Neutral by 2030. They are looking at a range of measures to help reduce Torbay’s carbon footprint, from developing solar farms, to decarbonising Torbay Leisure Centre and other buildings by installing heat pumps and other measures, planting trees, and securing funding to install electric vehicle charging points at car parks across Torbay.

Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture at Torbay Council said: “Last year’s Earth Hour event was a great success, bringing the community together, so we are delighted that there will be another one this year. It is a fantastic opportunity to make people aware of climate issues at a fun and engaging event.”

Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council, said: “Here in Torbay we are committed to doing all we can to help tackle climate change and Earth Hour is another chance for us to remind people how important this is. Many of the actions needed to address climate change such as making homes more energy efficient, reducing dependency on fossil fuels by making travel more environmentally friendly, and cutting down on food waste will also help address the cost of living crisis.”

Earth Hour Torbay was a fantastic event, and I would like to thank the organisers, the acts and everyone who turned off their lights at home and came out to support on the night. It was great to see such a wide age range of people in attendance, all keen to show their support and commitment to becoming more environmentally friendly. The entertainment and atmosphere were amazing, and I do hope this can become an annual gathering.”

Making a lantern

Information on making willow lanterns is available on our website here.

Information on how you can make a lantern form recycled jars and bottles is also on our website.