Could Torbay Airshow be cut to one day?

Or even be ditched altogether?

Torbay’s annual airshow could be cut to a single day – with fewer aircraft taking part – as the council looks at ways of saving money on the aerial extravaganza.

The English Riviera’s tourism industry thinks the £195,000 the council put into the 2023 airshow in June was money well spent, with every pound it invested  returning more than £15 income.

Now the council will consider options which include fencing off prime viewing locations and charging for tickets to those. The show could also be absorbed into another event such as Armed Forces Day.

The English Riviera Airshow has been a two-day event since it started in 2016, with the RAF Red Arrows topping the bill on both days every time, although the shows in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled because of the pandemic.

Now its future is on the line as Torbay Council’s overview and scrutiny board takes a long, hard look at it. The committee will meet for a ‘spotlight review’ next Tuesday.

Speaking during the show in June, council leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) said tough decisions would have to be made about the 2024 show and beyond.

He questioned whether the council could continue putting money into the event at the current rate. He said: “My heart says why would we not put this on when you see the people here, and you see the buzz and the vibe in the town? Absolutely – why would we not?

“But then the head says that £250,000 is an awful lot of money.”

In fact the report to next week’s meeting reveals that the council put £195,000 towards the total airshow cost of £305,000. 

The meeting will assess the show’s value for money, the financial contribution and the benefits to the community and the economy. Its recommendations will go to Torbay’s cabinet meeting the following week.

The 2023 airshow was financed through a mix of income from traders and concessions, private sector sponsorship, contributions from the English Riviera BID company and funds from Torbay Council.

The report to the committee says: “The airshow was intended to become financially sustainable, with little or no financial contribution from Torbay Council required, by 2020. This has clearly been harder to achieve than anticipated. 

“The costs of the airshow in 2023 have risen more than anticipated, in line with the general  increase in cost of business, trading, living and utilities during 2023.”

If the cabinet decides that the council should continue to ‘own and deliver’ the airshow, the report calls for more contributions from the private sector and the public through donations and crowdfunding.

Costs could also be reduced, says the report, by cutting down to one day and reducing the number of aircraft, with a focus on those that cost less. The event space could also be reduced to save money on road closures and stewards.

Officers have benchmarked the Torbay airshow with 13 other shows across the country, including Teignmouth. Two of the shows – Weston-super-Mare and Sunderland – were cancelled this year after local councils pulled the plug, the latter as part of their climate emergency drive to reduce carbon emissions.

The report says: “The cost of delivering the Teignmouth Airshow is significantly lower than the cost of the English Riviera Airshow as event management is carried out by experienced volunteers rather than outsourced to a contractor. Also, the air displays occur in one afternoon over the weekend.”

It explains how Torbay Council’s airshow investment produced a “very healthy return” of £15.56 for every pound invested. The 2023 show brought £3.5 million in spending into the bay, of which £1.8 million would not have been spent without the airshow. There were 36,000 people at the show on the Saturday and 29,000 on the Sunday.

In a survey, people who went to the show and local businesses were satisfied and supportive of the event.

The English Riviera BID Company suggests three ‘fundamental’ improvements to the airshow – better marketing, a better offer for sponsors, and concession stands at vantage points around the bay as well as on Paignton Green.

The BID company also wants to be more involved in marketing the event.

The report gives the council four options. The first is to continue to own and deliver a one-day show, with ‘ground elements’ in other parts of the bay and  selling tickets in the best locations.

The second ‘Teignmouth-model’ option would be to let another not-for-profit organisation put on the show with help, and possibly sponsorship, from Torbay Council.

Option three has the not-for-profit organisation taking over the airshow while the council spends the money on other attractions, possibly including a Christmas ice rink or a large sporting event such as a triathlon.

Option four removes the airshow from the council’s schedule with no plans to redirect the funding, although this would bring none of the economic benefits  and mean the air show doesn’t go ahead.