Your worldwide guide to Jane Austen 250th Events

 

Just over a week before the Christmas of 1775, a baby girl was born in the small Hampshire parish of Steventon; two and a half centuries later, she is considered one of the greatest novelists to have ever lived. At the Jane Austen blog, we always look to celebrate the work of Jane Austen, her contemporaries, and those who have followed in her footsteps. However, next year is a big year. 2025 will mark 250 years of Jane Austen. Many organisations at home in England and abroad are making plans to mark the occasion, and we thought we’d aggregate them here so that you can easily find out what’s going on where you are. We’ll keep this list updated as more events are announced, so if you have something you would like added, you will find out contact details at the end of this post.

 

At the Jane Austen Centre

Jane Austen Festival 2025

Where: Bath and surrounds

Event Type: Festival

Dates: 12th-21st September 2025

Click here for more details of the 2025 Festival

 

Persuasion Nautical-Themed Summer Ball 

Where: The Guildhall, Bath

Event Type: Balls and Dances

Dates: 31st May 2025

More details

 

 

Sanditon Seaside-Themed Summer Ball 

Where: The Guildhall, Bath

Event Type: Balls and Dances

Dates: 28th June 2025

More details

 

 

UK and EUROPE 

In Training for a Heroine: Jane Austen's Travelling Writing Desk

Where: God’s House Tower, Southampton

Event Type: Exhibition

Dates: 15th November 2024 - 23rd February 2025

More Details: https://godshousetower.org.uk/eventer/exhibition-jane-austens-travelling-writing-desk/edate/2024-11-15/

Jane Austen Birthday Ball Weekend

Where: Alton Assembly Rooms, Alton, Hampshire

Event Type: Festival and Ball

Dates: 18-19th January 2025

More Details: https://www.janeaustenregencyweek.co.uk/community/alton-community-association-cio-13273/home/

Pride and Prejudice Festival

Where: Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, Hampshire and surrounds (with some events available online)

Event type: Festival

Dates: 23rd-28th January 2025

More Details: https://janeaustens.house/visit/jane-austen-250/

Jane Austen Society 250th Anniversary Event 

Where: National Portrait Gallery, London

Event type: Lectures and Talks

Dates: 7th February 2025

More Details: https://janeaustensociety.org.uk/event/250th-anniversary-event-in-partnership-with-the-national-portrait-gallery/

Strictly Jane Austen Tours

Where: Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath and surrounds

Event type: Multi-day Tours

Dates: 7-12th April and 13-18th October 2025

More details: https://strictlyjaneausten.com/celebrating-jane-austen-2025/

 

Visit Jane Austen’s schoolroom 

Where: Reading Abbey, Reading

Event type: Tours 

When: Saturdays, April to October 2025

More details: https://www.visit-reading.com/whats-on/jane-austen-in-reading/visit-jane-austens-schoolroom

Sense and Sensibility Festival

Where: Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, Hampshire and surrounds (with some events available online)

Event type: Festival

Dates: 1st-11th May  2025

More Details: https://janeaustens.house/visit/jane-austen-250/

Placing Jane - National Figures, Local Context

Where: MAST Mayflower Studios, Above Bar Street, Southampton

Event type: Lectures and Talks

Dates: 3rd May 2025

More Details: https://www.balh.org.uk/event-balh-placing-jane-national-figures-local-context-2025-05-03

An Audience With Lucy Worsley on Jane Austen

Where: The Forum, Bath

Event Type: Lectures and Talks

Dates: 27th May 2025

More Details: https://www.bathforum.co.uk/Articles/693525/SHOW_INFO/Lucy_Worsley_25.aspx

No.8 College Street

Where: College St, Winchester

Event Type: Heritage Public View 

Dates: 4th June - 30th August 2025

More Details: https://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/events/no-8-college-street

Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel

Where: The Forum, Bath

Event Type: Theatre

Dates: 6th June 2025

More Details: https://bathforum.co.uk/Articles/698230/SHOW_INFO/Austentatious_25.aspx?redirected=1

Celebrating Jane Austen at Chatsworth

Where: Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Event Type: Festival

Dates: 13-15th June 2025

More Details: https://visitpeakdistrict.com/events/celebrating-jane-austen-at-chatsworth

Jane Austen's 250th: Jane Austen's Wardrobe with Hilary Davidson

Where: Topping and Company Booksellers, Bath

Event Type: Lectures and Talks

Dates: 24th June 2025

More Details: https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/bath/jane-austens-250th-jane-austens-wardrobe-with-hilary-davidson-2025/

Jane Austen Regency Week

Where: Alton and Selborne, Hampshire

Event Type: Festival

Dates: 20-29th June 2025

More Details: https://www.janeaustenregencyweek.co.uk/community/alton-community-association-cio-13273/home/

Jane Austen's 250th: Kathryn Sutherland on Austen in 41 Objects

Where: Topping and Company Booksellers, Bath

Event Type: Lectures and Talks

Dates: 26th June 2025

More Details: https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/bath/jane-austens-250th-kathryn-sutherland-on-austen-in-41-objects-2025/

Jane Austen’s Country Fair

Where: Steventon Village Hall, Steventon, Hampshire

Event Type: Fairs and Markets

Dates: 6th July 2025

More Details: https://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/whats-on/jane-austens-country-fair-p2437621

Emma Festival 

Where: Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, Hampshire and surrounds (with some events available online)

Event type: Festival

Dates: 12th-20th July 2025

More Details: https://janeaustens.house/visit/jane-austen-250/

Beyond The Bonnets: Working Women in Jane Austen’s Novels

Where: The Arc, Jewry Street, Winchester

Event type: Exhibition

Dates: 26th July - 2nd November 2025

More Details: https://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/events/beyond-the-bonnets

Persuasion and Poetry Festival 

Where: Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, Hampshire and surrounds (with some events available online)

Event type: Festival

Dates: 12th-21st September 2025

More Details: https://janeaustens.house/visit/jane-austen-250/

Buxton Georgian Festival

Where: Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust, Buxton, Derbyshire

Dates: 23-28th September 2025 

Event type: Festival

More details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1718599862307782/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22group%22%7D]%7D

Jane Austen’s Birthday Festival 

Where: Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, Hampshire and surrounds (with some events available online)

Dates: 13th-21st December 2025

More Details: https://janeaustens.house/visit/jane-austen-250/

NORTH AMERICA 

Friends of Jane Austen 250th Events

Where: Dallas, TX

Event type: Lectures and Talks

Dates: Throughout 2025

More Details: https://friendsofjaneausten.org/2025-events

Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest 

Where: Mount Dora, FL

Event type: Festival

Dates: 7-9th February 2025

More Details: https://janeaustenfest.com/2025-fest/

An Austen Affair Ball

Where: Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City, UT 

Event type: Balls and Dances 

Dates: 24-26th May 2025

More Details:https://www.facebook.com/events/295989606933873/ 

Jane Austen Summer Program

Where: New Bern, NC

Event type: Lectures and Talks 

Dates: 19th-22nd June 2025

More Details: https://www.janeaustensummer.org/

 

Cincinnati Jane Austen Festival

Where: Heritage Village Museum, Cincinnati, OH

Event type: Festival

Dates: 27-29th June2025

More details: https://heritagevillagecincinnati.org/jane-austen-festival-janes-jubilee/

JASNA AGM: Austen at 250 

Where: Marriott Waterfront, Baltimore, MD

Event type: Organisational Meeting

Dates: 10-12 October 2025

More details: https://jasna.org/agms/baltimore2025/home.php

REST OF THE WORLD

A Service of Choral Evensong in commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of Jane Austen

Where: Venue TBC, Sydney, Australia

Event type: Service

Date: 3rd August 2025

More details: https://jasa.com.au/calendar/

 

MY EVENT ISN'T HERE

If you have organised an event for Jane Austen's 250th but it isn't listed above, we'd love to hear about it, please e-mail us here with details, including the name of the event, date, location (including country) and a link to more information and/or ticket purchasing. We can't wait to celebrate with you!