Saturday 19th September 2026
In Pursuit of Jane Austen - minibus tour to Hampshire
7:45 (returns by 17:00)
Meet: Bath War Memorial, Royal Ave, Bath BA1 2PH
All-day minibus tour to Hampshire tracing Jane's footsteps and life. First her birthplace Steventon, then Chawton where much of her writing took place. Visiting Winchester, King Alfred's capital of England and Jane's final resting place in the cathedral. Meander with guide Adge through the ancient streets, impressive Peninsula Barracks and castle ruins.An unforgettable and atmospheric tour.
For this event you will travel in our bigger 21st Century minibus, accompanied by your tour guide Adge Secker.
Entrance tickets to Jane Austen's House in Chawton & Winchester Cathedral are included in your minibus tour ticket.
Tickets £130 (includes entrance fees)
Tickets Not Yet Available
Austen Ablaze: The Destruction of Jane Austen's Letters
10:00 (duration 1 hour)
Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, BA1 2HN
The burning of Austen's letters by her sister, Cassandra, is one of the most notable moments of literary vandalism in history. Join historian Dr Zoe Screti as she explores Cassandra's motivations. From desires to uphold Austen's reputation, turning witty words unbefitting a woman of sense and delicate sensibilities to ash before she could become subject to prejudice, through Austen being the object of Cassandra's envy, to the persuasions of Austen herself to maintain her privacy (there are secrets in all families, after all!), she'll unpack the leading theories about what really caused Cassandra to shape Austen's legacy forever.
Tickets £13
Tickets Not Yet Available
Archery
10:00 (duration 1hr 30mins)
Venue: Brocks Outdoor Advertures, Kelston, Bath BA1 9AF (bus, taxi or car required to get to this venue)
Adventurous spirits, grasp your bow and arrow - prepare for a marvellous experience! On arrival, you'll be welcomed by your host, a GB Archery qualified instructor, as you take in Kelston Roundhill's breath-taking views. They'll guide you through the woodland walk towards the archery range - where all the magic happens. Here, you will be shown everything you need to know about your bow and arrow, the rules on the range and safety demonstration. Once all bases are covered, it's time to show off your newly learned skills with plenty of Archery games!
Regency clothing is very welcome (but not mandatory) for this event, but please be aware you will be required to wear an arm guard over one sleeve.
Accessibility : This event is not wheelchair accessible due to uneven ground. Participants will need to navigate a grassy track and get themselves over two stiles to get to the archery site.
Tickets £40
Tickets Not Yet Available
A Very Private Public Breakfast
10:00 (duration 1hr 30mins)
Venue: Kinwarton, 3 Upper Camden Place, (part of) Camden Rd, BA1 5HX (20 mins walk from central Bath)
Sample the delights of an 18th Century public breakfast just as Jane Austen did in Bath. Bread rolls, toasted fruit bread, cake, tea (Jane Austen blend) or coffee - all in the private dining room of a typical Regency Bath house. Breakfast is accompanied by a talk from Jane Tapley.
As this event is taking place in a private home, we cannot accommodate any special dietary requirements at this event.
Tickets £18
Tickets Not Yet Available
Jane Austen & Bath - walking tour
10:00 & 14:30 (duration 1hr 30mins)
Meet: The Prince of Wales Obelisk Monument, Centre of Queens Square, Bath, BA1 2HH
'Oh! Who could ever be tired of Bath?’ So said Jane Austen’s character Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey, which along with her novel Persuasion is set in Bath. Through family links and having visited and lived in the city, Austen knew Bath very well indeed. Come and find out more on this walking tour led by Mr Knightley of The Jane Austen Centre.
Tickets £15
Tickets Not Yet Available
Make Sew Bold: Customise a Mask - workshop
10:00 (duration 2hr 30mins)
Venue: The ArtPad, 62 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DN
Join us and customise a gorgeous Regency mask fit for a masquerade ball – or simply to keep as a fabulous memento of your time in Bath.
Choose from our selection of undecorated masks and then go to town making it your own, using our quality, sustainably-sourced materials and vintage haberdashery bar! All equipment and materials are provided, while your tutors will share ideas, tips and decorating techniques.
No previous experience is needed - we cater for all abilities and will make sure your creative talents are unleashed! You’ll leave with a beautiful, unique souvenir of your time in Bath!
Tickets £49
Step Into Austen: A Full-Day Pride & Prejudice Cinema Experience
10:00 (duration 8 hours)
Venue: The Little Theatre Cinema, St Michael's Pl, Bath BA1 1SF
Join us for a special full-series screening of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice (1995). Enjoy all six episodes in a relaxed cinema setting - lights dimmed, crafts welcome. Your ticket includes an afternoon tea-style lunch, drinks, a themed goodie bag, and more! Regency or modern dress welcome. A cosy, celebratory day for Pride and Prejudice lovers.
Tickets £74
Jane Austen: Incurable Romantic - A brand new wandering show in the heart of Bath!
11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00 & 13:30 (duration 1 hour each)
Meet: Bath War Memorial, Royal Ave, Bath BA1 2PH
The Natural Theatre Company is back for their 10th consecutive year at the Jane Austen Festival with their hilarious walkabout show, Jane Austen: Incurable Romantic!
Following the success of Austen Undone and Lost & Found, this brand new piece celebrates everything Jane Austen. It reveals recognisable plot-lines, familiar characters and just a little bit of Austen-based nonsense. Immerse yourself in wooing, weeping and wagers as we wander around historic Bath, and watch this joyful story come to life around you!
(Suitable for ages 10+)
Tickets £19
Jealousy in Jane Austen with John Mullan - talk
11:30 (duration 1hr 30mins)
Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, BA1 2HN
Jane Austen’s characters reveal themselves by being jealous. Why do Austen’s heroines have to watch so carefully for the signs of jealousy in others - and how subject to jealousy are they themselves? This talk will answer those questions, and show the differences between women’s jealousies and men’s. We will see that jealousy is somewhere near the heart of every one of Austen's novels.
Tickets £16
Tickets Not Yet Available
Taking Tea at No.1 Royal Crescent
12:00, 13:45 & 14:45 (duration 2 hours each)
Venue: No. 1 Royal Crescent, Bath BA1 2LR
Come and join us at No.1 Royal Crescent on 18th and 19th September 2026 for a fabulous afternoon tea hosted by our friends at the Choux Box Patisserie. This event has three sessions, each lasting 1 hour. Your ticket includes time to explore the museum after the tea party.
If you wish to visit our current exhibition, you can pay a reduced fee of £2.50 at our shop desk on the day of your visit. Menus will be added to the event page on our website in due course.
Regency costume very welcome but not mandatory.
Tickets £44.50
Tickets Not Yet AvailableJane Austen’s Sick Characters with John Mullan - talk
14:00 (duration 1hr 30mins )
Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square, BA1 2HN
There are plenty of characters in Jane Austen’s fiction who claim to be ill, but how many of them actually are? Do some people bring sickness upon themselves? This talk will look both those characters who seem to relish their ailments, and those who appear to have been made unwell by life. How can Austen so often treat sickness comically, when she lived in a world where medicine was ineffectual and death always just round the corner?
Tickets £16
Tickets Not Yet Available
Rummaging through the Reticule
16:00 (duration 1hr 30mins)
Venue: Kinwarton, 3 Upper Camden Place, (part of) Camden Rd, BA1 5HX (20 mins walk from central Bath)
What did Jane and her characters keep in their reticules? All will be revealed when the contents of this C18th handbag are spilt in the privacy of a Regency drawing room. Jane Tapley's talk is followed by refreshments, a traditional cream tea - scones, jam and cream and, of course, tea.
As this event is taking place in a private home, we cannot accommodate any special dietary requirements at this event.
Tickets £18
Tickets Not Yet Available
Regency Masquerade Soiree - Neptune Nautical theme
19:00 (duration 2 hours)
Venue: Roman Baths, Stall Street Entrance, BA1 1SA
By the waters of the 2000-year-old Roman Baths, we invite you to attend our Neptune Nautical masquerade Regency Soiree.
Don your Regency finery then add a Neptune or sea-themed masquerade element on top: water nymphs, merfolk, sea-serpents… we look forward to seeing how you reflect our Neptune nautical theme in your Regency masquerade outfit!
Circulate and enjoy conversation with your fellow Festival attendees (if you can recognise them!) alongside musical interludes and a welcome drink. There will be a cash/card bar by the Baths for additional drinks.
Entrance doors will open at 19:00 and close promptly at 19:45, please note if you arrive after this you may not be admitted.
Regency costume is mandatory for this event. We look forward to seeing what you have added to your Regency costume to reflect our masquerade theme, however your costume must be appropriate to the late 18th or early 19th century. Absolutely no togas or tridents please!
Different from our Masked Soirees of previous years, in 2026 we are inviting guests to attend in their Regency attire with accessories to create a “character outfit” for the evening. Masquerades don’t feature in Austen’s novels, but they can be found in the works of Fanny Burney and Maria Edgeworth… although we certainly hope that our Jane Austen Festival guests behave with rather more decorum than some of the philandering characters who attend Masques in 19th century literature!
Soiree Tickets £48
Tickets Not Yet Available
Regency Masquerade Soiree & Ball - Neptune Nautical theme
19:00 (duration 4 hours 30 mins)
Venue: Roman Baths, & Pump Rooms, Stall Street Entrance, BA1 1SA
By the waters of the 2000-year-old Roman Baths, we invite you to attend our Neptune Nautical masquerade Regency Soiree & Ball.
Regency costume is mandatory for this event. We look forward to seeing what you have added to your Regency costume to reflect our masquerade theme, however your costume must be appropriate to the late 18th or early 19th century. Absolutely no togas or tridents please!
The Pre-Ball dance workshop for this event will take place from 14:30 - 16:00 on Saturday 19th September at the Percy Community Centre, New King Street, BA1 2BN.
All Jane Austen Festival Ball tickets were released on Thursday 2nd April 2026 in a sepearate ticket drop. Ball tickets sold out within 24 hours with the waiting lists for returned tickets also full.
Full Ball information can be found on our dedicated Festival Regency Balls page
*All ticket prices include transaction processing fee
