Available Tickets
As many of our Jane Austen Festival events are now sold out - here is an easy way to spot those events which STILL HAVE TICKETS AVAILABLE
Online ticket sales will finish on Saturday 7th September at 11:00am BST. Don't worry, events with tickets still available will have on-the-door sales (cash or card) from our lovely Festival stewarding team. You will be able to purchase tickets on-the-door from a minimum of ten minutes before each event start time.
Friday Festival Fayre
Friday 13th September: 15:00 - 18:00
Venue: Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, BA1 2QH
New for 2024, we will be opening the Festival Fayre for a few hours on Friday afternoon, for visitors to pick up some last-minute bits of Regency finery ready for Promenade day! Explore the Ballroom for a first look at the stalls offering hats, fans, gloves and lots more.
Entry to the fayre is £3 on the door for all, entry to the Friday Fayre is NOT included with the Promenade Wristbands.
Tickets £3 on the door (cash or card)
Grand Regency Costumed Promenade
Saturday 14th September - 11:00
Meet: in front of the Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street BA2 4BDArrive from 9:30, Promenade begines at 11:00 sharp.
To take part buy your wristband, put on your costume and join 500+ people dressed in Regency style, for this world famous, spectacular official opening to the Festival. Stroll through this beautiful city for approximately 1 hour ending at the Festival Fayre. Saturday Promenaders Fayre entrance included with each wristband.
Regency costume mandatory for this event.
Tickets £14 - no longer available online
Purchase at the start of the Promenade from 9.30 on Saturday 14thPromenaders Festival Fayre
Saturday 14th September: 12noon - 16:00
Venue: Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, BA1 2QH
Go on a Regency shopping spree through the Bath Assembly Rooms with stalls offering hats, fans, gloves, books, hair pieces, jewellery and lots more. The Fayre will open to Promenade wristband holders first, with doors opening to the general public* from 12 noon. *subject to venue capacity.
Bringing cash for purchases is advised as some sellers only accept cash payment, and the nearest cash point is a 10 minute walk back into town.
Tickets £5 each on the door (free to Promenade wristband holders)
Austen's Lost & Found - theatrical walking tour
Sunday 15th September - 13:30 / 14:00 / 14:30
Meet: at the top of Gravel Walk opposite No1 Royal Crescent, BA1 2LR
The Natural Theatre Company returns with their hilarious immersive walking tour show Lost & Found. Another lost Jane Austen novel has been unearthed in Bath, revealing more recognisable plotlines, familiar characters and just a little bit of nonsense. Immerse yourself in wooing, weeping and wagers as we wander around Bath, and watch this joyful story come to life around you!
Tickets: £19 - no longer available online
Limited tickets remainingBuy at the start point
A Whole Campful of Soldiers
Sunday 15th September: 11:00 - 15:00
Venue: Holburne Museum Grounds, Great Pulteney Street, BA2 4DB
Back by popular demand are His Majesty's 33rd Regiment of Foot. Visit their encampment at the Holburne Museum and experience a whole campful of soldiers with authentic drill displays, music and talks presenting life at war:
12 noon - Women in Wellington's Army Talk from Kitty Scratcher, a soldier’s wife. The ordinary women who followed the army in the time of Jane Austen. The life and trials of the unsung heroines who supported the British Army in the war against Napoleon.
13:00 - “Pistols at Dawn” – duelling talk A talk from Captain Macfarlane of His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of Foot. Duelling in the time of Jane Austen, fact and fiction comparing how films often portray duels with how they were really conducted.
Free Events
Jane Austen & London - with the Jane Austen Society
Sunday 15th September - 15:00
Venue: Card Room, Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, BA1 2QH
‘Here I am once more in this scene of Dissipation & Vice, and I begin already to find my morals corrupted.’
Letter from Jane Austen aged 20 to her sister Cassandra.
Actor and writer Angela Barlow uncovers Jane’s changing experience of the wicked capital through twenty years, both in her novels and in her life. Was London a ‘scene of Dissipation and Vice’, a place of ‘Domestic Happiness’, or did the city open up her vision, giving her a new freedom and the gift of a deeper companionship with her brother Henry?
Many images illustrate Angela’s theme, and she includes entertaining extracts from the novels and letters, keeping Jane Austen’s voice in our minds throughout.
This talk will also include Q&A time about the Jane Austen Society.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Building Northanger Abbey
Monday 16th September - 12:30
Venue: Museum Of Bath Architecture, The Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel, The Paragon, The Vineyards, BA1 5NA
Old medieval ruin or fake gothic new build? Following on from the success of our previous ‘Building Pemberley’ talk, join Dr Amy Frost to explore Jane Austen’s Gothic architecture (real and imagined), as the audience become the architects of Northanger Abbey. Bring your drawing skills with you – no matter how dodgy! As the talk runs over lunchtime, please feel free to bring lunch with you too. Costume welcome but not required.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Limited tickets remainingBuy on-the-door
Why Mr. Collins? The Church and Clergy in Jane Austen’s Novels
Monday 16th September - 14:00
Venue: St Swithin's Church, The Paragon, BA1 5LY
Jane Austen thought highly of the church. Why, then, did she present Mr. Collins as an obsequious buffoon? This talk explores Mr. Collins’s words and character, comparing him to Austen’s other clergymen, satirical cartoons, and Anglican and Evangelical ideals. It will conclude with questions and a book signing for Brenda S. Cox’s Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Croquet Game
Friday 20th @ 10:00
Sunday 22nd @ 10:00
Venue: Bath Croquet Club, Great Pulteney Street, Recreation Ground, BA2 4DS (entrance via Great Pulteney Street)
Spend 1 hour experiencing the Regency sport of "Pall-Mall" with an outdoor croquet game at Bath Croquet Club. Equipment and introductory instructions provided, enjoy a relaxed game of croquet, followed by post-match refreshments in the Croquet Pavilion.
Refreshments included in the ticket price.
Tickets £25 - no longer available online
Limited tickets remainingBuy on-the-door
That’s not Pemberley…but does it matter?
Wednesday 18th September - 11:30
Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, BA1 1UF
We all sigh watching Jane Austen adaptations when scenes set in Bath have clearly been filmed in Dublin or Rosings doesn’t quite match what we imagine it to be. Join Dr Amy Frost in an exploration of the inaccuracies of buildings and locations in Austen adaptations and for a lively discussion about if it really matters when they get it ‘wrong’.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Singing with Jane Austen - workshop
Wednesday 18th September - 14:00
Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, BA1 1UF
Regency Rum Bluffers will lead an energetic and engaging group singing workshop with songs heard in Jane Austen’s lifetime. Participants will sing as a group a variety of songs including nursery rhymes, love songs and a song written by Jane's music teacher.
There is no need to read music, we will teach you everything by ear and lyrics will be provided. Everyone is welcome!
Tickets £25 - no longer available online
Limited places remainingBuy on-the-door
Honour's of the Table
Wednesday 18th September - 19:00
Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, BA1 1UF
Mr Adams, butler in a grand Regency house, has been ‘in service’ for many years. Paying particular attention to the etiquette associated with sitting to table and the ‘art’ of dining he explains and demonstrates the complex process of setting the table for dinner.
The presentation is set in the year 1812 and supported by a very considerable range of silver, porcelain, and domestic items.
Tickets £15 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Race For an Heir
Thursday 19th September - 10:00
Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, BA1 1UF
Back by popular demand after her brilliant look at Regency Funerals in 2023; Maggie Barton returns to the Festival with an entertaining and interactive talk on the Georgian dynasty. With 13 children, the succession should have been secure but George III was driven to despair by disease, debauchery and death among his boys, while his girls were secreted away. Come and hear their stories, how the Regency period came into being and how the family was plunged into a frantic Race for an Heir.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Stand & Deliver! Desirable Dress Accessories in the Georgian Age
Thursday 19th September - 11:30
Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, BA1 1UF
Highwaymen have long exercised a grip on the romantic imagination, but why is this, and why were they considered a cut above common thieves? And what did these 'Gentlemen of the Road' take from their victims? Mark Wallis' lively talk will answer these questions through the use of original objects from his collection which the audience is welcome to examine.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Pride & the Beast: The Jane Austen Fairytale
Thursday 19th September - 13:30
Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, BA1 1UF
“Universal truths and happily ever-afters; Jane Austen and the fairy tale”
Monstrous, misunderstood men who own beautiful houses, young girls in red cloaks who fall prey to wolves in disguise, fathers who fall on hard times and let down their daughters; the plotlines of famous fairy tales, or themes within Pride and Prejudice? This talk, by Jane Austen’s House Director Lizzie Dunford, will explore the presence and influence of classic literary fairy tales in Austen’s beloved novels and what these influences can tell us about her own reading.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Clementine
Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, BA1 1UF
Lady Clementine has until her 27th birthday to find the one. When her latest beau goes missing, she embarks on a hilariously unhinged quest to solve the mystery of her ill fortune. But with neither sense nor sensibility, will our romantic heroine find love in time? @rosalieminnitt
One of The Guardian's Top 10 Comedy Shows of 2023. - Telegraph's Funniest Shows of the Fringe 2023 & 2024. Skinny 2024 Ultimate Comedy Recs. - 'Absolutely barnstorming' ★★★★ (Telegraph) - 'Hilarious and heartwarming' ★★★★ (Time Out) - 'Painstakingly crafted and brilliantly performed' ★★★★ (Chortle.co.uk)★★★★★ (BroadwayWorld.com)★★★★★ (TheatreWeekly.com)
Just like Christian Brighty’s show, this is not viewers of a delicate disposition!
This performance is only suitable for viewers aged 18+ as it may contain scenes of a sexual nature, language & partial nudity. The Jane Austen Festival takes no responsibility for anyone swooning for lack of smelling salts; you have been warned!
Tickets £17 - no longer available online
Limited tickets remainingBuy on-the-door
Regency Hand Sewing Workshop
Friday 20th September - 9:00
Venue: Lonsdale Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
Learn to hand sew various different Regency appropriate stitches with Mackenzie of Fig Leaf Patterns during this hands-on workshop. A period correct sewing kit with a small booklet of stitches & useful information will be provided, for you to use during the class and to keep afterwards. All attendees will need to bring their own scissors and dressmaking pins to use. This class is suitable for those with little to no sewing experience, a basic starter session to begin your Regency costuming journey.
Tickets £95 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-doorDrawstring Spencer Toile Workshop
Friday 20th September - 13:30
Venue: Lonsdale Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
Join this workshop and learn to assemble and fit a toile mock-up of this Drawstring Spencer (pattern 123) from Fig Leaf Patterns. The printed pattern will be supplied for you.When booking please choose from either the size 8-18 or 18-28 pattern, using your high waistband measurement as a guide. All attendees will need to bring their own fabric scissors and dressmaking pins. You will also need to supply your own cheaper fabric for the toile, and own fashion fabric and lining fabric. This workshop will be all hand sewing, so a good level of basic hand sewing is required for this workshop.Please also note it is unlikely that you will end the workshop with a completely finished garment, the aim of the session is to learn how to fit the spencer jacket to yourself for future use. It will be a good opportunity to learn general garment fitting skills.
Tickets £95 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
She played and sang: Jane Austen and music
Saturday 21st September - 10:00
Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
In this presentation Gillian Dooley explains the place of music in Jane Austen’s life from her teenage years through to the end of her life, illustrating the talk by playing and singing a selection of songs and piano works from her own music collection, including some that we know she herself performed in her Chawton home in later life.
Gillian Dooley is the author of She played and sang: Jane Austen and Music (Manchester University Press, 2024) Copies will be on sale after the presentation.
Tickets £13 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door
Dancing in Jane Austen's Novels - with John Mullan
Saturday 21st September - 11:30
‘It may be possible to do without dancing entirely,’ observes Jane Austen in Emma, with heavy irony – for she is about to show us how essential it is to the destinies of her characters. This talk will explore why dancing features in every one of Austen’s novels and will reveal what we need to know about the conventions governing the dances that she describes.
Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
Tickets £16 - no longer available online
Buy on-the-door