The English Riviera Geopark Festival returns to Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, inviting residents to explore the area’s natural heritage through a series of walks, workshops and exhibitions. The annual event celebrates the unique status of the region, which was recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark in September 2007 for its significant geological and cultural history.
The festival programme includes over 20 events designed to highlight the area’s 400-million-year-old geological formations. Planned activities include fossil discovery sessions at Kents Cavern, coastal foraging walks, and sunrise yoga sessions at the clifftops of Berry Head. Residents can also view the Colour-ing the Bay exhibition at Torre Abbey or visit the Strata Stories exhibition at Artizan Gallery. Geopark Patron and geologist Professor Iain Stewart MBE will host an evening talk titled Earth Stories: Tales from the Global Geoparks to discuss geology and storytelling.
This year’s festival takes place as Torbay Council continues its work to manage and protect over 1,700 acres of natural spaces following the liquidation of the founding partner, the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, in December 2025. The Geopark itself covers 62.4 square kilometres of land and 41.5 square kilometres of marine area, featuring Devonian marine limestones that were fundamental in the naming of the Devonian geological period.
The festival remains a key opportunity for the community to engage with the landscape that underwent a formal revalidation inspection by UNESCO in July 2023. Further information on event timings and accessibility for the upcoming festival can be found on the official English Riviera Geopark website.
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