The Ageing Well Torbay Festival is back, and it is live, in person, for the first time since 2019.

The eighth and possibly final festival will take place this year at the Riviera Centre in Torquay on Saturday, September 17^th between 10am and 5pm, after COVID forced it online for both 2020 and 2021.

Organisers boast that it is bigger and better than ever, with a stellar lineup representing the very best of the festivals held in the Bay since the lottery-funded Ageing Well Torbay project was launched in 2015.

“We have been very fortunate that the National Lottery’s Community Fund recognised the need for Ageing Well Torbay to go out with a bang and have allowed us to run this final festival long after the seven-year project finished,” said a spokesperson.

“We aim to bring together the best of our past festivals, showcasing the cream of the Bay’s talent for one last hooray and we are very excited to be doing this again at the Riviera Centre.

“We have learned lessons from the last time that we were there and we will be looking at making it even more accessible to everyone in the Bay, no matter how they choose to travel.” they added.

The entertainment is designed with everyone in mind bringing back the best of the Bay’s talent by popular request and will include the ever-in-demand Sandy Sparkle, who will perform as well as compèring the main stage.

Vivien and Barrie, who perform as Twogetherness, will be back singing duets and recounting their fascinating lives in TV and film. The Torbay Rock Choir intends to shake the rafters belting out a whole range of contemporary hits in two performances on the main stage.

What Festival would be complete without the opportunity to dance and this year Clare Parker will be getting others to join in to boogie the afternoon away with an end-of-festival dance party?

As usual, there will be lots of opportunities to try new things, whether tai chi, yoga or a whole host of other exercises and organisers have also lined up an array of top-notch speakers.

John Risdon will be regaling us with tales of Brixham Past and Present, Kevin Dixon will be taking us on a rollicking Great Saturday Night out in Torquay. And there are also talks about the past and present of Oldway Mansion.

Add to that talks by the Disabled Sailing Association on their work in the Bay, advice on Tax and Care from Silvertime Legal and h a talk about The Drinking Fountains of Torquay by David Hinchcliffe.

Ageing Well Torbay may be no more, but the community building team, now funded in part by Torbay Council, is going from strength to strength and have expanded to support all age groups and the entire team will be available to meet as they showcase their work.

For the full programme,  go to www.ageingwelltorbay.com/awf22