Review tonight of Riviera Airshow’s future
The council-backed airshow could be reduced to one-day, cancelled, or taken over by a not-for-profit group
A review will take place later into the future of the two-day Riviera Airshow - after costs spiralled to almost £200,000 this year for Torbay Council.
The event, which started in 2016 as the Torbay Airshow, was originally underwritten to a value of £100,000 in 2017 which was supposed to fall by £10,000 a year.
The council spent £250,000 in its first year, £145,000 in 2022 and £195,000 in 2023.
It is believed the 2023 event was worth £3.5 million to the local economy with £1.8 of that new expenditure which was only spent as a result of the event.
This year 65,000 attended, with 36,000 on the Saturday and 29,000 on the Sunday.
The report |newtab)compares the cost of the Torbay event with the much lower volunteer-run Teignmouth Airshow and much higher subsidised Bournemouth Airshow.
When asked 86% of people in Torbay agreed that it brings a ‘sense of local/civic pride to the area and 84% that it is of great importance to the local economy’ - while ‘66% of local residents disagreed that the event caused unnecessary littering, traffic congestion and pollution to the town’.
Options being considered include creating a ‘not-for-profit’ group to run the event. One proposal would be to cancel it and spend the money on an ice rink, a large sporting event or putting more focus on the geopark status.
Another option would be to reduce the event to a one-day airshow and potentially build it into something like the Armed Forces Day celebration.
The report also warns: “Policing the Maritime Exclusion Zone has become increasingly difficult due to the increase in the use of jet ski’s which is a safety concern. The Airshow Maritime Risk Assessment includes a need for a police presence, which is not guaranteed due to cost. The Harbour Authority supports the costs of additional stewarding for the duration of the Airshow, however there is a risk in assuming volunteer numbers will sustain, and if the Airshow continues in the future financial assistance will be required to sustain volunteer numbers and provide sufficient stewarding of the water.”
You can read the full report here