Jane Austen Festival 2026
The 2026 Jane Austen Festival will take place Friday the 11th to Sunday the 20th of September.
We are delighted to announce the full 2026 Jane Austen Festival Programme is now released for everyone to enjoy and get excited about! We can't wait to welcome everyone to Bath to celebrate our most esteemed author.
Promenade Wristbands are already on sale- head to the Promenade website page to join us on Saturday 12th September 2026.
Countdown to the start of the 2026 Jane Austen Festival.
Monday 03/08/2026
Postscript Books Pop-up Shop at BRLSI (14–16 September)
As part of the Jane Austen Festival, Postscript Books will be bringing a special pop-up bookshop to the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution Draper Room (1st floor) from 14–16 September.
Browse a hand-picked selection of books inspired by Jane Austen and the Festival's topics, including titles on the Regency period, British history, biography, literature, art, architecture, gardens and many other fascinating subjects. Whether you're a devoted Austen reader or simply enjoy discovering books at exceptional prices, there's something for everyone.
Postscript Books Pop-Up Opening Times
Monday 14th September 10:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 15th September 9:30 - 17:30
Wednesday 16th September 9:30 - 16:30
The Postscript team will also be offering visitors the opportunity to sign up for their free catalogue, giving readers access to hundreds of discounted books delivered directly to their door.
In the meantime, do browse our Jane Austen homepage for a sneak peek at some of the books that will be available during the Festival.
We hope you'll stop by to browse, discover something new and say hello.
Monday 03/08/2026
Those of you who love sewing your own costumes (we’re sure you’re hard at work!) might like to know that we’ve added another Dorset Button workshop on Sunday 13th September from 15:45 - 17:00.
Tickets to both other Dorset Button workshops flew off the virtual shelves, so we’re expecting dorset buttons to be the latest Jane Austen Festival trend!
Monday 03/08/2026
Netflix's Pride & Prejudice: In Conversation with Dolly Alderton
Join us for an exclusive first look at Dolly Alderton's highly anticipated adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, coming to Netflix later this year. In this special event, Dolly will offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her faithful yet fresh take on Jane Austen's beloved classic, as she unveils a suite of first-look images and introduces her interpretation of Austen's iconic characters.
The Jane Austen Festival is pleased to host this “In conversation with Dolly Alderton” from 17:30 - 18:15 on Tuesday 15th September in the BRLSI, Queens Square, Bath, UK. Tickets are free, but you must pre-book your space, click here to book for this extra special event This event won’t be live-streamed- this one is just for those of you gracing the streets of Bath that day.
Friday 31/07/2026
We know that, just like Mrs. Allen in Northanger Abbey, many of you like to start your trip to Bath by being “provided with a dress of the newest fashion” and so we thought now the perfect time to release more details of our two 2026 Festival Fayre locations!
With more Austen accessories, clothes, bonnets galore, gifts and goodies than can possibly be accommodated in one venue, we are spreading out over both the Pavilion and the Guildhall this year.
To help you plan your shopping trip, a full list of all our traders is here:
Brunswick Room, Guildhall
Anna Tham Collections - Antique and Hand finished pieces of jewellery
Charlotte Atkinson Art - Hand painted watercolour portraits
Hair Story - Regency styled hairpieces, wigs, hair decorations & jewellery
Jane Austen Letters & Gifts - Jane Austen replica letters, themed gifts, magazines & puzzle books
Jane Austen Society - Books, annual reports & society membership
Josephine Willis Millinery - Hats & bonnets
No.1 Royal Crescent - Jane Austen themed books and gifts
Well Read Company - Literary accessories and handbags
Whitchurch Silk Mill - Silk ribbons, shawls, fobs, bookmarks - all with silk ribbon woven at Whitchurch Silk Mill
The Pavilion
Abigail Rose & Laughing with Lizzie- Literary embroidery kits and accessories, Austen books and Austen-themed gifts.
Altogether Austen- Modern clothing and stationary with designs inspired by JA writing. Including a range of crochet reticules made in collab with a yarn artist.
Block House Bath- Georgian and Regency-themed handprinted paper ornaments, paper toys, and handprinted tea towels, wood and fabric decorations.
CabCurio- Jane Austen-inspired bookends and paintings.
Classic Costume- Ready-made Regency dresses, spencers and wrappers, plus small selection of accessories.
Elgar Shirts- Handmade men's linen shirts in 18th century style, fallfront wool breeches and an assortment of Regency style waistcoats.
Farthingale Historical Hats- Historical hats and accessories
Happily Ever Austen- Regency newspaper and keepsakes inspired by the world of Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice.
HatsPeriod- Hats for both ladies and gents.
Jane Austen Centre- Gifts and merchandise.
Jane Austen's Regency World Magazine- Austen-themed magazines and subscriptions.
Jo Lawler - The Seamly Woman- Second-hand cotton & silk saris and new made cottons & silks.
Little Strumpets & Bath Theatrical- Jewellery, watch fobs, evening bags, parasols and accessories including bonnets and turbans.
Lizzie & Rose- Reasonably priced Regency accessories.
Longbourn Regency Emporium- Jane Austen-themed merchandise: mugs, stationery, tea towels, candles, picnic baskets.
Miss Benford's Emporium- Millinery and accessories.
Mr Mortimer's Wife- Tiaras, jewellery and other accessories.
National Trust Assembly Rooms- A chance to chat with the Assembly Rooms team, and learn about their exciting plans for re-opening…
Papilionaceous- Jacquard silk ribbons, gentlemen’s braces.
Parrots & Peonies- Shawls, cloaks, shoes.
Perfect Little Parcel- Regency corsets, clothing and accessories.
PostScript Books- Meet our official Promenade sponsor and Jane Austen Festival bookseller! Books for lovers of Jane Austen and the Regency period.
Prior Attire- Historical replicas of Regency-era clothing, ready made-dresses, stays, pelisses, waistcoats, coats, breeches, stocks, capes, great coats, as well as books.
Regency Blue Emporium- Regency-inspired vintage jewellery and other accessories.
Sarah Le Breton Willow- Willow baskets that have been recreated as authentically as possible to baskets that were available in England in the Regency period.
Thomas Fortin Hats- Millinery.
Viscount Folly- Cardboard tissue box cover kits designed to look like miniature Georgian houses.
Entrance into the Friday Festival Fayre is £5 per person (under 16s go free). This includes entrance into both Festival Fayre venues.
Entrance into the Saturday Festival Fayre is included in your Promenade wristband if you are promenading. If you are not promenading and wish to only visit the fayre, the entrance fee is again £5. This again includes entrance into both Festival Fayre venues.
When you purchase fayre entrance, (this can be done at either Festival Fayre venue) you will be given a stamp which is then proof you can enter into the other Festival Fayre location for free. Please be ready to show this stamp to the Festival Stewards on the door, & remember not to wash it off!
*If you visit one Fayre venue on one day, and the other Fayre venue on a separate day, you will be charged twice to get in. The stamp will be different!
Tuesday 30/06/2026
Jane Austen Festival Spring and Summer Balls 2027 page.
Now all our 2026 Summer Balls are behind us, we know that- like many an Austen-heroine- our newsletter subscribers will be eager for us to name the dates of our next standalone balls.
Our Spring Ball will be held on Saturday 3rd April 2027. Our Summer Ball will be held on Saturday 26th June 2027.
For more information click the link below to be directed to our Jane Austen Festival Spring and Summer Balls 2027 page.
Thursday 05/05/2026
We are happy to announce that the 2026 Jane Austen Festival programme is complete! You will be able to view the full 2026 Jane Austen Festival programme from Thursday 7th May, and buy tickets from Thursday 14th May at 13:00 BST. There are over 200 events, so treat it like an Austen novel and expect it to take time to read!
Tickets will be on sale to our Festival Friends from Thursday the 7th of may BST, Festival Friends- check your inboxes, you all received both an email newsletter about this and a separate email reminder of your Festival Friends priority code on 30th April!
Thursday 30/04/2026
PostScript Books are returning as sponsors this year, as well as being our official Jane Austen Festival bookseller for the first time! Not only are they making the 2026 Promenade possible with their generous sponsorship, but they have also curated our very own lists of suggested books… perfect for all those who just can’t wait for September to start learning about the topics we’ll be covering in our talks.
Wherever you see the Postscript tag on a talk photo (see the example below!), click the photo to be taken to the Postscript website, where you can see the collections they have put together for us. On each talk’s booking page, you’ll also be able to see a list of books they have on offer for the talk’s topic.PostScript Books will be appearing at our Festival Fayre, so do drop by and let them know how grateful you are for them making our world-famous Promenade possible this year. And if you want to beat the muslin-crushing crowds at the Fayre, buy a book from them today!)
Thursday 23/04/2026
We know many of you have been eagerly awaiting news of our 2026 Promenade… the day is here when we can happily announce that wristbands are on sale to you, our dear Festival Friends, as of now at the following link:
ADULT WRISTBAND £15 - CHILDREN FREE**Children under the age of 16 go free on the promenade, however children must be accompanied by a Regency-costumed, wristband-wearing adult. You must book a wristband for each child, these can be added to your booking when purchasing your Adult Wristband.
You do not need a Festival Friend priority booking code to purchase Promenade Wristbands, and you can book up to 10 wristbands per transaction. In 2025 wristbands did sell out, so please do make use of the priority booking period to ensure you can join us in Bath for the 2026 Promenade. Wristbands will go on sale to the general public on Thursday 30th April..
Thursday 09/04/2026
The time has come to share our 2026 Jane Austen Festival Fashion Themes. Thank you to everyone who shared your ideas with us on social media and via email.
As always Fashion themes are just for fun, and we like to think we've picked themes that can be embraced even with a small costume detail. So no pressure to sew a whole new wardrobe - unless you want to!
Those of you who have been attending the Jane Austen Festival for a few years will notice some new themes, as well as some old favourites from the past (or should that be… from behind the black veil?)
Friday 11th
Frilly Friday
Think frilly caps, chemisettes and ruffles on dresses!
Saturday 12th
Spectator Saturday
Promenade Finery; An opportunity to show off your best outfit as we promenade through the town.
Sunday 13th
Sleevils Sunday
We love a fancy sleeve - although sewing them can sometimes be a challenge. Tassels, pintucks and trimming galore! Show off your fanciest sleeves on Sleevil Sunday
Monday 14th
Millinery Monday
A day dedicated to hats and bonnets! Perhaps you might even have a new one to show off, purchased at our Festival Fayre?
Tuesday 15th
Gothic Day
By overwhelming popular demand, gothic day is back
Wednesday 16th
On Wednesdays we wear PINK!
It wouldn't be Wednesday at the Jane Austen Festival if we weren't wearing pink!
Thursday 17th
Redcoats and Red Cloaks
In honour of our Thursday excursion to Lacock, a.k.a Meryton! We invite you to embrace your Lydia and Kitty, or perhaps even Wickham?
Friday 18th
Fun Fabric Friday
Tartan, stripes, florals! Show us your fun fabric.
Saturday 19th
Second Chance Saturday
We would love to see any dresses made out of second-hand fabrics, or perhaps a re-wear of an outfit already worn this week.
Sunday 20th
Botanical Beauty
Take inspiration from all things Botanical as we finish the festival with a promenade around the beautiful Botanical Gardens
23rd March 2026
Tickets for our September Balls are SOLD OUT, and the waiting lists for returned tickets are full.
Tickets for the rest of the September events will go on sale later in the Spring.
*please note our waiting lists are only for returned ball tickets, and we cannot predict if and when this might happen
Mollands Friday Afternoon Assembly
Friday 11th September - 14:00
- Name of each ticket holder
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder
1811 Sense & Sensibility Regency Ball
Friday 11th September - 19:00
- Name of each ticket holder
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder
Mollands Sat Afternoon Assembly
Saturday 12th September - 14:00
- Name of each ticket holder
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder
Beginners Harvest Regency Ball
Saturday 12th September - 18:30
- Name of each ticket holder
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder
Dancers Harvest Regency Ball
Saturday 12th September - 20:00
- Name of each ticket holder
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder
1815 Emma "Switched Off" Ball
Sunday 13th September - 19:00
- Name of each ticket holder
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder
Rose Ball
Wednesday 16th September - 20:00
- Name of each dance event attendee.
- Main course dinner choice for each attendee:
Pork tenderloin, crisp pancetta, Anna potato, heritage carrot
or
Caramelised onion tart tatin, goat’s curd, charred radicchio, basil, pine nut (vegetarian)
Dessert will be:
Strawberry Eton mess, honeycomb crumb
- Tables for dinner seat 8 people each, please note your seating requests during booking. All group bookings will automatically be sat together.
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder.
Masquerade Gods & Goddesses Soiree & Ball
Friday 18th September - 19:00
- Name of each dance event attendee.
- Main course dinner choice for each attendee:
Roast lamb loin, mustard and herb gremolata, fondant potato, spring greens
or
Broccoli and roast butternut squash risotto, feta, pea, carrot crisp (vegetarian)
Dessert will be:
Plant-based chocolate and salted caramel tart, honey-poached apricot, crème fraîche (vegan)
- Tables for dinner seat 10 people each, please note your seating requests during booking. All group bookings will automatically be sat together.
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder.
Masquerade Neptune Nautical Soiree & Ball
Saturday 19th September - 19:00
- Name of each dance event attendee.
- Main course dinner choice for each attendee:
Cornish hake, baby potato, tenderstem broccoli, brown butter shrimp
or
Broccoli and roast butternut squash risotto, feta, pea, carrot crisp (vegetarian)
Dessert will be:
Classic lemon meringue pie
- Tables for dinner seat 10 people each, please note your seating requests during booking. All group bookings will automatically be sat together.
- Dietary requirements for each ticket holder.
27th February 2026
Today we can reveal some returning Jane Austen Festival favourites from yesteryear, as well as one new event for 2026…
We have an ever-so-exciting snippet to share, which is that the Jane Austen Festival will be following in the footsteps of so many Austen heroines this year, and having a day out in the countryside! Mark your diaries: on Thursday 17th September, we will be heading en masse to Lacock. Many of you will have seen this idyllic location on screen (most notably in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation, but fans of British historical dramas will have seen it forming a beautiful backdrop to many different stories and eras!), now we would love you to join us and enjoy it for real.
Also, as so many of you were heartbroken at not being able to join in with book-binding workshops last year, we are hosting not one, not two but three book-binding workshops in 2026!
Jane Austen Festival attendees will once again be able to grace the lawns of Bath Croquet Club. The Jane Austen Dancers of Bath will be guiding you through your allemande and pousette
moves in Regency dance workshops across the Festival.
Click the link and find out more information about these activities and our splendid excursion to Lacock from our just released February newsletter.
16th February 2026
A History of Jane Austen Festival Fashion Themes.
Fashion themes started, back in 2017, entirely as a bit of fun amongst the volunteer stewarding team. An agreement to dress up for a gothic fashion talk soon turned into 'Gothic Day'. Turban Tuesday quickly followed, in honour of steward Lucy's excellent turban game. Soon after, some of our wonderful festival attendees couldn't help but notice how beautifully coordinated our stewarding team were, and asked if we would share the themes in advance of the festival, so they might join in too.
We want to stress that themes are always just for fun, and we don't want anyone to feel pressured to join in! Fashion Steward Helen always has lots of fun
researching fashion plates and coming up with possible themes, but this year we'd love your help!
Some of our favourite themes in the past have included:
-
- Fashion Plate Friday
- Gothic Day
- Matilda Monday (in honour of our favourite IKEA curtains)
-On Wednesdays We Wear Pink
- Thrifty Thursday (we love to hear the stories of how people reused or rescued the fabric to make their Thrifty Thursday outfits!)
We'll be running a poll on our social media accounts so you can make your suggestions for our 2026 themes. So, get your thinking-bonnets and top hats on! Alternatively, if social media is not your thing, feel free to email us your suggestions.
10th February 2026
The Jane Austen Festival is delighted to announce that, arm-in-arm with our dear friends at Bath Arts Collective, we will be holding our Grand Regency Costumed Promenade on Saturday 12th September 2026!
More details will be revealed in the fullness of time; stroll over to our Promenade page to see the most recent information. Alas, we don’t yet have a confirmed date for when Promenade wristbands will go on sale. Sign up to our newsletter to be kept abreast of developments!
30th January 2026
The dark days of January (the month in which Marianne gets chucked by Willoughby, Jane Bennet doesn’t get to see Bingley in London and Frank Churchill once again fails to rock up in Hartfield) are nearly over. Huzzah!
To warm your hearts and get you through the final few chilly days, we have the most frightfully exciting news to reveal… the schedule of ball and dance events for the 2026 Jane Austen Festival.
We’re sure the question on everyone’s lips is “When will tickets go on sale?”. Alas, we are not yet in a position to confirm the date when tickets will go on sale, however we are going to be holding two separate ticket-drops for Festival tickets this year: one for balls and tea dances, and a later one for everything else.
To read our January Newsletter with all our latest 2026 Festival information click the button below.
29th January 2026
Tickets for our Summer and Yuletide Balls went on sale today and swiftly sold out, with the majority of tickets sold with fifteen minutes.
19th January 2026
We are delighted to announce our 2026 Programme cover/poster.