The Grand Regency Costumed Promenade is a Regency costume mandatory event.
Please note there are no changing facilities at the promenade start point (you cannot change in Royal Crescent Hotel or No1 Royal Crescent), so please arrive in your Regency finery. The nearest toilets are in Charlotte Street car park.
If you arrive for the promenade not in suitable Regency costume you will be refused participation with no refund offered.

Please prepare appropriately for the weather!

We advise that you carry an umbrella and wear sensible shoes for rain. In the event of warm weather please carry a bottle of water.
This event will take place in all weathers unless there is an extreme weather warning in place. So please be prepared for whatever the weather may be , dressed in your Regency outfits.

Please be aware that there will be a lot of media coverage of this event, and it won’t be possible to be able to control who does or doesn’t feature in photos of filmed footage. By taking part, you accept that you may be filmed and photographed.

At 10:45, if the weather allows, a large group photo will be taken from above, so please be at the meeting point by this time if you would like to be included. Simply join together on the Royal Crescent Lawn and look up! There will be no official announcements about this on the day, but a series of photographs will be taken of everyone gathered together at 10:45.

If you are taking part in the Promenade, please refrain from using selfie sticks whilst promenading. Please help us to keep the event as historically authentic and immersive as possible for those participating and for those watching, by minimising your use of 21st Century devices whilst promenading through Bath. 

For any media persons wishing to cover this event, please get in touch with the Festival office via email to festivaloffice@janeausten.co.uk

The crossing point on George Street (from upper pavement across the road to go down the centre of Milsom Street) will be manned totally by road safety marshals - progress might be slow here as we are crossing in three minute intervals. You might be asked to pause at this point.
Please only cross where and when you are asked to by the official security marshals.
Road safety marshals will be managing the promenade for your safety, please follow their instructions on the day.

Please be aware of your surroundings at all times. At the meeting point, there is a 2m drop from the top of the haha wall to the ground, so please be aware of this. Please do not climb up or down the haha wall, it is over 250 years old!
During the promenade the road surfaces and pavements will be changeable and may be uneven, please take care.

Weapons
After our most recent consultation with Bath City Council, the decision has been made to not permit participants to wear weapons in the Promenade this year. We will have two re-enactor groups with weapons, however this is being securely managed by professional armourers alongside the police. The logistics of checking amongst 2000+ promenaders for individuals with weapons, then checking their credentials; certificates/licences etc on the day is not practical for this year’s promenade.
Weapons are prohibited from the 2025 Promenade. 

Weapons are also not permitted inside the Guildhall or Pavilion, along with many other venues in Bath anyway, so it is best to leave your weapons safely at home for the duration of your time in Bath City Centre. 

• The entire Jane Austen Festival Promenade route is step free, however the pavement and roads are (like a lot of Bath) not always smooth or level. You will be required to mount sloped curbs, and navigate cobbled streets.
• The gathering point of the Royal Crescent Lawn is accessible via a small step, therefore if you are unable to manoeuvre this, you will be asked to gather on the pavement opposite the central gate onto the lawn Persons with mobility equipment may also be asked to gather on the pavement to avoid damage to the lawn.
• There is no seating available at the meeting point.
• The nearest toilets to the meeting point are in Charlotte Street Car Park. There are no toilets available at the meeting point.
• There are no cafes local to the meeting point.
• At the George Street Crossing there are narrow steps down to the road, with no handrails.
• Level access when the promenade crosses George Street is at the **traffic light crossing point** - these will be turned off, but the marshals will guide you as to when to safely cross with everyone else.
• The promenade lasts for approximately 1 hour of walking, but there will be the option to join part way through: 
  If you would prefer the shorter walking route, you may join the promenade at the halfway point from the Welcome to Bath gazebo. The route from this point onwards has no steps, however there are some uneven surfaces. There will be a Festival steward at this point to welcome you from 10:30 onwards until the Promenade arrives at this point, at approximately 11:30.
  
• The entrance to Parade Gardens is a tarmac ramp.
• There is an accessible toilet in Parade Gardens.
• Refreshments will be available in Parade Gardens.
• The promenade will feature live music from three separate groups of musicians, spread throughout the promenade.
• Assistance animals are welcome on the walk and in Parade Gardens, however not on the meeting point on Royal Crescent lawn. Please gather on the pavement opposite the central gate onto the lawn.
• We are unable to offer carers tickets for Promenade wristbands.
• There will be a designated Lost Child/Vulnerable Adult point- please see a promenade marshal on the day if you are concerned about someone.

Dogs are very welcome to accompany their wristband wearing, regency outfitted owners on the Promenade.

• Please be aware dogs are not allowed onto the private Royal Crescent lawn, or into Parade Gardens.
• Assistance dogs are permitted into Parade Gardens, but as a private lawn, they are NOT permitted onto the Royal Crescent Lawn, you will have to remain outside this area with your pooch and gather on the pavement to opposite.

Promenade wristbands will be available to collect from Jane Austen Festival Stewards at two different times in 2025:

• Pick up point 1: Friday 12th September 2025 in the Bath Guildhall from 10:00 - 18:00
• Pick up point 2: Saturday 13th September 2025 at the start point of the Promenade - The Royal Crescent. Collection from 9:30 from Festival Stewards at the entrance gates onto the lawn & at either end of the Royal Crescent road.

Promenade wristbands will be available to collect from Jane Austen Festival Stewards at two different times in 2025:

• The Promenade is FREE to watch. 
• Please watch from the pavements along the route.
• Please follow the instruction and guidence of our Promeande marshals, they are there to keep everyone safe.

Promenade update...

The Jane Austen Festival is most excited indeed to welcome a magnificent 2000 elegantly-attired promenaders to join us in 2025. After a consultation with Bath City Council and on their safety advice, the decision has been made to limit the number of promenaders taking place in this year’s Grand Regency Promenade.

We will not be putting any further Promenade wristbands on sale.
We understand this is disappointing, and not the outcome anyone hoped for, including our team, but do keep reading our long explanation, to find out more…

We are grateful to have on board supporting event managers for the Promenade this year, to assist with our increased numbers after last year. Together with GES & TRACSIS personnel they are managing the safety of all participants and the many crowds of Jane Austen fans who will be enjoying the spectacle.
Please listen to the marshals guidance and follow instructions where needed to keep everyone safe.

We are aware some Festival visitors are planning to follow at the back of the Promenade, but please be aware the roads will be opening as the back of the promenade moves along the route. Please do not follow the promenade in this manner, or encourage others to do this, there will be official marshals in place to stop this happening.
Similarly in the past people have joined along the route, please refrain from doing so unless you are wearing your promenade wristband.

We appreciate it is a (mostly) free country, so people may walk where they like, however after our greatly increased numbers in 2024, the 2025 promenade almost wasn’t permitted to run because of concerns that the police and Bath City Council have about unticketed (and therefore un-planned for) people joining into the promenade.

Furthermore, those who are not wearing a Promenade wristband will not be covered by any insurance for this event (ours or their own holiday/travel insurance) as they have been expressly requested not to walk on a live road.

The capacity number of participants for this year has been a calculated part of the planning process, as have been the many council, highways and police consultations behind the scenes on this topic, which take place to enable this special event to run each year.
We would ask that our lovely Jane Austen fans respect that this planning process has been done with everyone’s safety in mind, for those participating and for those watching along the route.

We can't wait to welcome everyone to Bath is just three weeks time!