Welcome

This annual event, now in its 10th year, takes place during the last full week of September.

The 2010 Jane Austen Festival is from Friday 17th to Saturday 25th September.

Festival Director Jackie Herring on the right

Each year the Festival, grows and grows with more people dressing in Regency costume celebrating the life and works of Jane Austen.

Throughout the city events are organised by the Festival team under the guidance of Jackie Herring the Festival Director. Entrance to each event is by ticket and those go on sale at the Bath Festivals Box Office a few months before the start. Becoming a Friend of the Jane Austen Festival ensures you get first choice of tickets, essential for those events with limited numbers.

The most spectacular day each year is the first Saturday, when the festival officially ‘opens’ with the Regency Costumed Promenade through the streets of Bath. Promenaders from all over the world dress in 18th Century attire led by our Town Crier and accompanied by soldiers and sailors adding extra colour to the proceedings.

This year we broke the Guinness world record for the "Largest gathering of people in Regency costume". See the video of the attempt on YouTube

In 2008 we organised for the first time a traditional Country Fair in Queen Square where not only promenaders but also the general public could partake of the sideshows and stalls as well as try the stocks for size!

Small soirees, theatre, concerts, walking tours, food, talks and of course dancing plus the opportunity to dress throughout the week, if you wish, in 18th century costume. These are some of the attractions of the Jane Austen Festival.

For further details of the current festival click the side button, sign up to our enewsletter or become a Friend of the Festival. The website is being updated all the time as and when details become available and events are finalised.