Annual Jane Austen Festival celebrates Bath’s most famous resident

The city’s annual Jane Austen Festival, the highlight of which is a Regency costumed promenade through the streets of Bath, runs from Friday 11th September to Sunday 20th September.

Photo © Jeremy Richards / Shutterstock.com

It is the largest and longest-running Jane Austen festival in the world, first taking place over a weekend in 2001 at The Jane Austen Centre, Bath.

It has grown into a 10-day programme, drawing visitors from around the world to enjoy a wide range of Jane Austen-themed events.

The annual promenade, which has been filling the Georgian streets with more than 2,000 people in Regency dress since 2004, holds the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest gathering of people dressed in Regency costumes’.

It takes place on Saturday 12th September, starting at 11am at the Royal Crescent. The stroll will take approximately one hour, ending along Great Pulteney Street.

Visitors to the festival can enjoy events inspired by Austen’s timeless works, including guided walks, costumed balls, theatrical performances and talks.

You can find out more at https://janeausten.co.uk/pages/festival-2026

Tickets are no longer on sale online, but you can check the day-by-day programme pages for events with tickets available to purchase on the door.