Thousands of Jane Austen enthusiasts descended on Bath last month as the city hosted the 2026 Jane Austen Festival, transforming streets, squares and historic venues into scenes straight from the Regency era.
For ten days in September, Bath’s streets were filled with bonnets, waistcoats, parasols and military uniforms as locals and visitors from across the UK and around the world gathered for the 2026 Jane Austen Festival.
Held from 11 to 20 September, the festival is the world’s largest and longest-running celebration of the beloved novelist. Against Bath’s famous Georgian backdrop, thousands of Austen enthusiasts embraced Regency fashion and culture, bringing a touch of the early nineteenth century back to the city.
One of the highlights was the Grand Regency Costume Promenade, when more than 2,400 costumed participants processed through the city centre, delighting residents and visitors who lined the route. Austen enthusiasts of all ages embraced the occasion, with entire families taking part. Children in miniature Regency outfits joined the parade, while even some four-legged companions were dressed for the occasion.
The festival programme featured a packed schedule of events including talks, guided walks, theatrical performances, workshops, readings and costumed balls. In total, organisers staged nine Regency balls across the ten-day festival, providing more than 1,000 places on the dance floor for attendees. New additions this year included a partnership with the National Trust and a festival excursion to Lacock Abbey, giving festival-goers the opportunity to explore locations beyond Bath while continuing the Regency-themed celebrations.
Festival Director Georgia Delve wrote in the programme: “After putting together the most wonderful 250th birthday party for Austen last year, we set out in 2026 like Elizabeth Bennet: ‘in pursuit of novelty’; we’ve tried to bring more new things to the Jane Austen Festival programme than ever before.”
One festival-goer, who asked not to be named, said: “The atmosphere was incredible. Everywhere you looked there were people in Regency dress and it felt as though Bath had travelled back in time. It’s unlike any other event I’ve attended.”
Although Jane Austen’s relationship with Bath was a complicated one, the city played an important role in her life and writing. She lived in Bath between 1801 and 1806, and the city features prominently in both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
More than 200 years after her death, Austen’s stories continue to inspire readers around the world, with Bath remaining at the heart of celebrations of her life and legacy.
The next Jane Austen Festival will take place from Friday 10 September to Sunday 19 September 2027. Further information can be found at janeausten.co.uk.
