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.

Tuesday 01/09/2026

Jane Austen Festival TV & Film Newsflash! 
Grab your smelling salts, and stand by your fainting-couch…again!

We are "Netherfield Park has been let at last" levels of excited to share the following snippets of news with you... We have not one, not two, but all three new Austen screen adaptations joining us during the 2026 Festival.

On Thursday 17th September 2026 we will be hosting the Jane Austen Festival's Premiere of Sense & Sensibility, with a live introduction.

Sense and Sensibility: A Jane Austen Festival Premiere + Live Intro

The Jane Austen Festival, in collaboration with Universal Pictures and Everyman, is proud to host an exclusive preview screening of Sense and Sensibility ahead of its release in cinemas on September 25th. Enjoy a drinks reception hosted by Universal Pictures from 18:00, followed by an exclusive extended introduction to each film screening from director Georgia Oakley & screenwriter Diana Reid.

Regency costume is encouraged, but not mandatory for this special event. We would love to welcome as many of our Festival visitors as possible in their Regency finery to view this brand new adaptation.

There will be three film screenings, each with their own introduction along with the drinks reception, timings will be as follows;
18:00 Drinks Reception
18:45 Screen 1 - Introduction
19:00 Screen 1 - Film screening

19:05 Screen 2 - Introduction
19:25 Screen 2 - Film screening

19:25 Screen 4 - Introduction
19:40 Screen 4 - Film Screening

Venue: Everyman Bath, 6-8 Dorchester St, Bath, BA1 1SS

Tickets for the first two screenings are now on sale via the Everyman Bath website.

On Saturday 19th September 2026 from 16:00 - 17:00 we will be welcoming to the BRLSI

Bonnets, Ballrooms, and Bennets: The Making of The Other Bennet Sister

Join members of the creative team behind The Other Bennet Sister from both Bad Wolf and the BBC for a behind-the-scenes conversation about reimagining Mary Bennet for a new generation. The panel will explore the creative choices behind bringing her world to life on screen, from the world of Jane Austen fandom to insights into television adaptation, costume, production and more. The Other Bennet Sister is a produced by Bad Wolf and airs exclusively on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, and on Britbox in the US and Canada.

Saturday 19th September 16:00 - 17:00
Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
Tickets: £15

Tickets available on the door

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:

Promenade wristbands sold out - Promenade full!

*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?)