Local businesses are coming together to bring a family-friendly England Fan Zone to Abbey Park on Torquay’s seafront, supported by our Events Team.

Led by The Foundry, The Apple & Parrot, and Offshore Bar & Restaurant, the initiative follows public demand for more outdoor community watch events during major sporting tournaments. The fan zone will host around 1,500 people for England’s knockout stage matches, building towards the World Cup Final on Sunday 19 July.

Screenings will begin with the Quarter-Finals on Saturday 11 July, with the possibility of a Semi-Final event on Wednesday 15 July, should England win the game against Norway. The Quarter-Final event will open at 2pm, offering live music, family entertainment, mini football pitches, games and activities ahead of the 10pm kick-off. Last entry will be at 10:30pm.

The event will feature a range of food and drink options, including a licensed bar, on-site toilet facilities, and a selection of local traders, all professionally managed by the organisers. Entry is free, with priority queue tickets available via The Foundry, while general admission will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Designed as an inclusive community event, the fan zone will provide a shared space for residents and visitors to enjoy England’s final World Cup matches. It complements the many existing venues across Torbay hosting their own screenings, offering a broader choice of places to watch the games.

The site will include a single large viewing screen for live broadcasts and one stage for performances by local bands. Organisers are mindful of potential noise concerns and are working closely with a local sound technician to ensure all sound levels remain within agreed limits.

Cllr Jackie Thomas, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Culture & Events and Corporate Services at Torbay Council said: “It’s great to see local businesses working collaboratively to deliver an event like this for Torbay. The fan zone will add to the wonderful vibrant atmosphere I’m seeing across the bay during the tournament in our local bars and pubs. The watch party in Abbey Park, gives residents and visitors even more opportunities to come together and enjoy the games in a welcoming, community setting.”

Event Organiser, Alnardo Folloni said: “We’re really excited to bring this fan zone to Abbey Park and create a fantastic, family-friendly space where the community can come together to support England. There’s been a real appetite locally for outdoor watch events, and we’re proud to be working with partners and the Torbay Council teams to deliver something that’s safe, well-managed and enjoyable for everyone.”

For safety, Abbey Park will be temporarily enclosed during match screenings.

All enquiries about the event including interest in trade stalls, performances or priority queue tickets should be directed to info@thefoundrytorquay.com or www.thefoundrytorquay.com

To support the economy, the UK Government has introduced temporary licensing extensions for venues showing World Cup matches, covering both indoor and outdoor spaces and applying to alcohol sales and entertainment. The organiser is working closely with Torbay Council’s licensing team to ensure full compliance with both the Abbey Park licence and the Government’s temporary provisions.

Curfews will be in place on match days, with a 10:45pm finish for 8pm kick-offs and a 12:45am finish for 10pm kick-offs.

This event is being organised by independent local event organisers using Council land. While our Events team supports organisers in delivering their events, all event details are managed by the organisers themselves. Questions about the event should be made directly to the event organiser. We are not responsible for content on external websites. www.torbay.gov.uk/events/