Christmas in Torbay 2025: Your Guide to Lights, Markets & Winter Events 🎄

Torbay’s Christmas celebrations return for 2025 with light switch-on events and the full Bay of Lights programme. From 28 November 2025 to 2 January 2026, Torquay, Paignton and Brixham will be lit with seafront displays, illuminated trails and a busy festive atmosphere along the coast.

The Bay of Lights Illumination Trail brings new installations across the bay, while Abbey Park hosts a real ice rink perfect for winter evenings. Torre Abbey offers markets filled with local gifts, and the Christmas Train of Lights adds a touch of magic as it winds through the South Devon coastline.

Whether you are watching the Christmas lights switch on, skating under the stars or exploring the illuminated trails, Torbay 2025 offers a bright and enjoyable festive season by the sea. Read on to find out more.

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Dates and programmes are subject to change. Always confirm before you travel.

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🌟 Bay🌟 Bay of Lights – The Torbay Riviera Illumination Trail

Every winter, Torquay’s seafront becomes a glowing promenade of colour, music and sea reflections. The Bay of Lights Illumination Trail stretches for about a mile and a half between Torre Abbey and the harbour, creating one of Devon’s most photogenic Christmas walks.

The free, step-free trail is fully accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Lights switch on around 4.30 pm, with music and displays continuing until 9.30 pm and the full illumination until 11 pm. Whether you stroll beneath illuminated arches or pause to watch the harbour shimmer, it’s a magical way to enjoy a winter evening on the English Riviera.

The event now lights up the entire bay, with Paignton and Brixham joining Torquay’s celebrations. Each town adds its own harbour lights and Christmas tree, turning the coastline into a chain of colour and movement.

Food stalls, cafés and bars stay open late, and live musicians often perform along the seafront. Reflections across the bay are especially beautiful around Princess Pier and the Curly Bridge. Start at Torre Abbey before sunset to watch the lights flicker to life and allow about 45 minutes for a leisurely walk.

For an ideal evening, combine the trail with a visit to the Abbey Park Ice Rink or the nearby Torre Abbey Christmas Market.

If you’re staying longer, hop on a train or bus to Paignton or Brixham after dark to see how each town adds its own sparkle to the Bay of Lights.

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⛸️ Abbey Park Ice Rink – Ice Skating in Torbay

New for 2025, the Abbey Park Ice Rink brings real ice skating to the heart of Torquay’s Christmas celebrations. Set just metres from the seafront, the rink offers a magical place to skate beneath the festive lights. It’s one of the highlights of this year’s Illumination Trail, perfect for families, couples or friends looking for things to do in Torbay on a winter’s evening.

The large 39 × 12 metre covered rink ensures skating continues whatever the weather, while festive music and lights complete the atmosphere. A café area will offer hot drinks, snacks and a chance to watch the skaters from the sidelines, so even non-skaters can enjoy the fun.

Sessions run from 6 December 2025 to 2 January 2026, lasting 45 minutes, with 15 minutes for changeover. Skate hire is included in the ticket price, and skating aids can be rented for £4 extra, ideal for children or beginners finding their balance.

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🎁 Torre Abbey Christmas Market

Between 28 November and 21 December 2025, Torre Abbey becomes the heart of Torquay’s Christmas celebrations. The historic abbey gardens fill with Christmas lights, festive scents, and more than 30 market stalls, where local makers sell handmade gifts, crafts, and seasonal food.

Visitors can browse for Devon-made candles, jewellery, artwork and preserves, or stop for a hot chocolate and watch the crowds drift past. Covered seating areas and nearby cafés offer shelter from the weather, creating a relaxed atmosphere where you can linger, shop and soak up the festive mood.

When darkness falls, the event takes on a new layer. The Alive with Light projection brings Torre Abbey’s façade to life with colour, music and moving imagery that tells the story of the building’s 800-year history — from its medieval beginnings to its role in modern Torbay life. The show runs several times each evening and draws visitors to pause on the lawns to watch the illuminated story unfold.

Torre Abbey’s Christmas Market sits right at the start of the Bay of Lights trail, making it the perfect place to begin or end an evening walk along the illuminated seafront. You can skate at the nearby Abbey Park Ice Rink, shop for gifts, and then follow the lights towards the harbour.

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🎆 Brixham Lanterns, Lights & ’Luminations

Every November, Brixham begins the festive season in style with its Christmas light switch-on and “Lanterns, Lights & ’Luminations” weekend – a luminous celebration of harbour lights, lantern parades, fireworks and live music that transforms the fishing town into one of Devon’s most dazzling coastal Christmas spectacles.

In 2025, the festivities take place on Friday, 21 November and Saturday, 22 November.

• On Friday from 6 pm, the lantern parade sets the tone, as hundreds of handmade paper lanterns, created by local schools and community groups, wind their way through the streets toward the harbour.
• On Saturday from 10 am, the weekend continues with live music and street entertainment, alongside bustling markets on Middle Street, The Strand, The Old Fish Market, and the Quay.
• The grand firework display is set for Saturday from 6.30 pm, launched from the breakwater over the harbour and providing a spectacular finale.

Initially launched in 2007 by local volunteers to mark the start of Brixham’s Christmas light switch-on, the event has grown into a highlight of the English Riviera winter calendar.

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🚂 Paignton to Dartmouth Christmas Train of Lights

The Christmas Train of Lights returns from 29 November to 30 December 2025, casting a festive glow along the heritage line between Paignton and Kingswear. Run by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company, this after-dark journey transforms the steam route into one of South Devon’s magical winter experiences.

The trip begins at Paignton Station, where the historic carriages are wrapped in hundreds of Christmas lights before the locomotive sets off towards Kingswear. Once underway, the train threads through Greenway Tunnel, sweeps across Broadsands Viaduct and follows the wooded bends of the River Dart, revealing a trail of illuminated scenes along the way. As the lights ripple across the water on the approach to Kingswear, the whole landscape takes on a storybook quality.

Inside, the carriages feel warm and atmospheric, with soft lighting, seasonal music and that unmistakable scent of steam drifting through the compartments. The buffet offers hot drinks and festive treats, adding to the evening’s cosy feel. After a short pause at Kingswear for photos, the train steams back to Paignton, completing a round trip of just over an hour.

🚂 Train of Lights + Santa 🎅

Alongside the classic illuminated journey, the railway also offers Train of Lights + Santa departures on selected dates. These services include everything found on the evening Train of Lights, plus a visit from Father Christmas, who makes his way through the carriages to meet families and hand out small gifts. His helpers add an extra layer of cheerful chaos, making this option perfect for families looking for the complete festive experience.

Important booking advice

If you want to see Santa, make sure you book the right experience for your visit.
The Train of Lights is the classic illuminated evening journey, while Train of Lights + Santa includes a Santa visit as part of the same after-dark experience.

Both the Train of Lights experiences and the Santa Express are extremely popular, with December departures often selling out early. The railway offers wheelchair-accessible carriages and welcomes well-behaved dogs on selected trains, making it a memorable festive outing for the whole family.

More information and bookings: dartmouthrailriver.co.uk

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🎄 A Very Miniature Christmas – Babbacombe Model Village

From 22 November 2025, on selected dates through to early January, Babbacombe Model Village turns its four acres of landscaped gardens into a festive miniature world. Christmas scenes appear all around the famous attraction, from snow-dusted rooftops and tiny shop windows dressed for the season to twinkling lights and hidden Santas and elves for children to spot on themed character trails. The indoor Mythical Kingdom adds an extra layer with its animated mythical creatures and atmospheric lighting.

The experience changes as the light fades. On Christmas illumination dates, visitors can admire the intricate detail of the models in daylight, then stay on as thousands of lights flicker on from around 3.30 pm, turning the miniature towns, railways and gardens into a glowing wonderland. On these evenings, the park typically takes last entry around 4.30 pm and closes by 6.30 pm, giving plenty of time to explore both by day and after dark. Exact opening times vary from late November to early January, so it is worth checking the latest timetable before you travel.

Set high above the cliffs on the Babbacombe side of Torquay, the Model Village offers sheltered areas, an indoor café for hot drinks and sweet treats, and extra indoor displays if the weather turns. Paths are paved, but the site sits in a steep valley, with gradients of up to 1 in 4 on the main slopes, so visitors with limited mobility or wheelchair users should read the accessibility information carefully before visiting. A council-run pay-and-display car park is immediately by the entrance, and regular local bus services stop nearby on Babbacombe Road, making it easy to reach without a car.

More information: model-village.co.uk/a-very-miniature-christmas

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🎅 Santa in the Caves – Kents Cavern

From 6 to 24 December 2025 on selected dates, Kents Cavern joins the Bay of Lights celebrations with Santa in the Caves, a festive grotto hidden beneath Torquay’s cliffs. The one-hour guided experience feels more like immersive theatre than a standard grotto. Professional actors lead families through the illuminated chambers of Britain’s most famous prehistoric cave system, with songs, jokes and interactive moments along the way before a final meeting with Santa. Children receive a hand-wrapped gift, while adults enjoy mulled wine, mince pies and a free return visit in January 2026.

Seasonal Lighting

Seasonal lighting showcases stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone, creating a magical backdrop for storytelling. Because visits run as timed guided tours with limited capacity, advance online booking is strongly recommended, especially for weekends.

Kents Cavern is one of the most accessible cave systems in the country, with concrete paths, handrails and only a few shallow steps. It remains an underground environment, so expect low lighting, a steady 14 °C temperature and some short slopes. Sensible footwear and an extra layer help keep everyone comfortable. Wheelchair access is usually limited to the first chamber, with a film of the whole tour available in the visitor centre. Most pushchairs are OK, though wider ones may struggle.

Before or after meeting Santa, families can explore the Stone Age Zone, the Woodland Trail with Ice Age characters or stop at the café overlooking Ilsham Valley. The gift shop offers fossils, books and seasonal souvenirs.

Kents Cavern is in Wellswood, about a mile from Torquay harbour, and easy to reach by car using postcode TQ1 2JF or by Stagecoach bus 22 to St Matthias Church. Many visitors pair Santa in the Caves with a seafront stroll or other Bay of Lights attractions for a relaxed festive day out.

More information and bookings:
kents-cavern.co.uk/events/view/santa-in-the-caves

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🎭 Festive Theatre Magic

Torbay’s theatres offer plenty of festive entertainment each December, with pantomimes, concerts and seasonal shows spread across Torquay, Paignton and Babbacombe. Each venue brings its own style, from big family pantos to variety nights and community productions, and weekend dates often sell quickly.

Princess Theatre, Torquay – Sleeping Beauty

Torquay’s seafront theatre hosts the region’s biggest Christmas pantomime, and for 2025 the production is Sleeping Beauty, running from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026. Families can expect the full traditional mix of comedy, local jokes, colourful costumes and classic panto magic, making it one of the most popular festive outings in the Bay.

Babbacombe Theatre – Jim’s Christmas Cracker

In Babbacombe, the clifftop theatre hosts Jim’s Christmas Cracker on 12 December 2025, a one-night Christmas variety show featuring comedy, music and lively festive entertainment. This is a standalone evening performance rather than a season-long panto run, and it tends to appeal to an adult audience looking for a fun night out.

Palace Theatre, Paignton – Adult Panto

Paignton’s Palace Theatre offers something a little different in 2025, with an adult pantomime titled Jack off the Beanstalk scheduled for December. It is a cheeky, adults-only take on the traditional fairy tale, so families should check age guidance carefully and look out for any additional seasonal shows that may be added to the programme closer to Christmas.

Something for everyone

Across Torbay, the 2025 theatre season ranges from classic family pantomime at the Princess Theatre to alternative festive nights in Paignton and Babbacombe. Travellers planning a December visit will find a mix of styles and atmospheres, and bookings are recommended in advance, especially for the main pantomime and Friday and Saturday performances.

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🎅 Santa’s Appearances in Torbay 2025

Father Christmas will be spreading festive cheer across Torbay this December, with several chances for children to meet him, share their wishes and take home a Christmas memory.

In Torquay, Fleet Walk Shopping Centre hosts a traditional Santa’s Grotto from Saturday, 22 November 2025. The grotto opens at weekends until 18 December, then runs daily from 18 to 24 December, making it an easy add-on to a Christmas shopping trip in the town centre.

Paignton Zoo joins the celebrations with its Christmas at the Zoo event from 6 to 24 December 2025. On selected dates, Santa will be on site to greet young visitors, with appearances scheduled for Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December, and then daily from Saturday 20 to Wednesday 24 December.

Times, ticket options and activities can change from year to year, so it is always worth checking each venue’s official website before you travel. Many grotto sessions and Santa experiences sell out quickly, especially on December weekends and after-school slots.

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🛍️ A Festive Escape to Dartmouth

A short trip from Paignton or Torquay, Dartmouth shines at Christmas with its riverside lights, independent shops and welcoming festive spirit. The narrow streets of this historic port town brim with decorated windows, local crafts and cosy cafés serving mulled wine and mince pies.

The highlight of the season is the Dartmouth Christmas Market and Candlelit Dartmouth, held from 28–29 November 2025. The event fills the Old Market Square and Royal Avenue Gardens with stalls selling handmade gifts, artisan food and festive decorations. Choirs, brass bands and street performers create a cheerful atmosphere as the town gathers for the candlelit parade and the official switching-on of the Christmas lights.

Beyond the market, Dartmouth’s independent shops and galleries stay open late for Christmas shopping evenings, offering everything from coastal homeware to fine local produce. The waterfront looks especially magical after dusk, when reflections of the harbour lights ripple across the River Dart.

Dartmouth’s mix of historic charm, community celebration and riverside views makes it one of South Devon’s most atmospheric Christmas escapes.

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🚆 Getting to Torbay

By Train:

Regular Great Western Railway and CrossCountry services connect Torbay with Exeter, Plymouth, Bristol and London Paddington (around 3.5 hours). The main stations are Torquay, Paignton and Torre, all linked by local trains and buses. The scenic Riviera Line between Exeter and Paignton offers one of the most picturesque coastal journeys in Britain, running directly along the seafront.

By Road:

Torbay sits just off the A380, reached from the A38 and M5 via Newton Abbot. The journey from Exeter takes around 40 minutes by car. Parking is available across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, with large car parks near the seafronts, shopping areas and attractions. In December, spaces can fill quickly for evening light events, so early arrival or public transport is advised.

By Bus:

Stagecoach South West’s frequent Route 12 service runs between Brixham, Paignton, Torquay and Newton Abbot, connecting major attractions and town centres every 10–15 minutes throughout the day and evening.

By Air:

The nearest airport is Exeter International Airport, about 26 miles away (roughly 45 minutes by car or taxi). Visitors can reach Torbay by combining the Stagecoach 4A bus from the airport to Exeter St Davids, then joining a train on the Riviera Line to Torquay or Paignton.

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🅿️ Parking and Accessibility

Torbay’s towns are easy to explore on foot or by public transport, with good parking options close to major attractions and seafront areas.

Torquay – Large car parks sit near the harbour, marina and main shopping streets, including Shedden Hill (TQ2 5TY), Harbourside (TQ1 2BG) and Lower Union Lane (TQ2 5PN). Most offer pay-on-exit or cashless options via RingGo.

Paignton – Visitors can use Victoria Square (TQ4 6PE) and Cliff Road (TQ4 6DH) for the seafront and town centre. Both lie within walking distance of Paignton Green, the pier and the Bay of Lights installations.

Brixham – The main long-stay car parks are Central (TQ5 8DY) and Oxen Cove (TQ5 8AW) near the harbour. Spaces fill quickly during the Lanterns, Lights & ’Luminations weekend, so early arrival is best.

Many Torbay car parks offer reduced evening rates after 6 pm and accept mobile payments through RingGo or JustPark. Accessible bays are clearly marked, and most seafront areas have dropped kerbs and level paths suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

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🏨 Stay a Little Longer

Turn your Torbay Christmas visit into a festive weekend by the sea. The English Riviera offers a wide choice of places to stay, from elegant seafront hotels to cosy guesthouses and self-catering apartments with harbour views. Many properties run special winter offers or festive packages throughout December.

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💡 Insider Tips

• Start the trail near Torre Abbey before sunset.
• Book ice-rink and train tickets in advance.
• Visit mid-week for fewer crowds.
• Combine Abbey Park skating with the trail for a full evening out.
• Add a detour to Babbacombe for a miniature Christmas experience.

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For more seasonal inspiration nearby, see our guide to Christmas in Exeter 2025

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Other Helpful Links

Vrbo – Great for self-catering and vacation holiday home rentals.

Booking.com – for most accommodation needs. Look out for options that include free cancellation.

Easy Tide – Free UK tidal prediction service, providing tidal data and tide times for the current day and 6 days into the future.

Expedia – good for flights and packages.

Get Your Guide – find and book things to see. Includes unusual things to do.

Hostelworld – Hostel-focused booking platform that fosters backpack connections.

MetOffice – Weather forecasts from the UK official meteorological office.

National Express – UK-based coach operator providing long-distance bus services

Omio – Book travel tickets by comparing trains, buses and planes in one search.

Rental Cars – to search out and book hire cars.

Rome2Rio – Great for comparing local transport options (and for locating bus stops).

Ticketmaster – What’s On – Major Events – Venues – Bookings

Trainline.com – our go-to online platform for booking train and bus tickets, offering route planning, price comparisons, seat reservations, and ticket sales.

Traffic England – for live traffic updates on major roads.

Traveline SW – Comprehensive public transport information from A to B by bus, coach, train, ferry in South West England and Great Britain.

TripAdvisor – for reviews of… pretty much everything. Our go-to before booking anything.

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Over to you … have you recently travelled to South West England? What worked for you? What advice would you give to others? Please leave your comments below or join in the discussion in our Facebook Group.