The Jane Austen Festival is a 10-day celebration held in Bath every September, built around the city's Regency connections and its most famous literary resident. The headline event is the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade, a procession of hundreds of people in full Regency dress that winds through the city's streets, starting on the Royal Crescent lawn. Promenade participants are required to wear Regency costume, but you don't need one yourself to watch: anyone can line the route for free, and the rest of the festival's talks, tours, balls and workshops run alongside it with their own separate tickets.
When it runs
The festival runs as a 10-day event each September, with the 2026 edition scheduled from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September. The Grand Regency Costumed Promenade, the event most people associate with the festival, takes place on the Saturday of festival weekend (12 September in 2026), starting around 11am. Dates shift slightly year to year, so check Visit Bath's or the festival's own listings for the current year's exact schedule before you plan a trip around it.
The promenade: what actually happens
The promenade starts on the lawn in front of the Royal Crescent, Bath's famous curved terrace of Georgian townhouses, and processes through central Bath along a route that typically finishes around Parade Gardens. It's one of the largest annual gatherings of people in Regency dress anywhere, with past years drawing several hundred costumed participants and an estimated crowd of around two thousand spectators lining the streets. The full route takes roughly 90 minutes to walk through.
Do you need a costume?
Only if you want to walk in the promenade itself. All promenade participants are required to be in Regency costume to take part, and that's genuinely enforced rather than a loose suggestion. If you don't have one, or don't want to commit to walking, you can watch from along the route for free, no costume and no ticket required. Costume promenade spaces have historically sold out well ahead of the festival, so if marching in the parade yourself is the goal, book or plan for Regency dress hire early rather than assuming you can turn up and join on the day.
What else is on
Beyond the promenade, the festival typically runs a programme including:
- Talks and lectures on Jane Austen's life, novels and the Regency period, often with academics and authors.
- Guided walks past locations in Bath connected to Austen and her novels.
- A Regency ball, usually ticketed separately and the festival's most formal evening event.
- Workshops, covering things like Regency dance, etiquette or costume-making for anyone planning ahead for a future year.
Most of these need individual tickets and sell out in advance, so check the festival's own programme once it's published for the year you're visiting, since the lineup changes annually.
Combining it with Austen's Bath year-round
If you're visiting outside festival season, or want to do more Austen-related sightseeing while you're in town, the Jane Austen Centre runs exhibits on Austen's time in the city year-round, and our free self-guided walk past the houses she lived in covers the same ground as parts of the festival's guided walks, at no cost and on your own schedule.
Where to stay and getting around during the festival
Festival weekend is one of Bath's busier periods for accommodation, so book well ahead if you want to stay centrally. Our where to stay in Bath guide covers the main areas, and since the promenade closes or crowds several central streets for the morning, our getting around Bath without a car guide is worth checking if you're driving in and need a parking plan that doesn't put you in the middle of the route.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Jane Austen Festival in Bath?
It runs as a 10-day event every September. The 2026 festival is scheduled for 11-20 September, with the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade on the Saturday of festival weekend.
Do I need a costume to attend the festival?
Only to take part in the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade itself, which requires Regency dress. You can watch the promenade and attend most other festival events without a costume, though some of the formal evening events may have their own dress expectations.
Where does the promenade start and finish?
It starts on the lawn in front of the Royal Crescent and processes through central Bath, typically finishing around Parade Gardens. The walk takes roughly 90 minutes.
Is the promenade free to watch?
Yes. Watching from along the route is free and needs no ticket. Taking part as a costumed walker is a separate, ticketed, bookable spot that has sold out in advance in recent years.
What other events run during the festival?
Talks and lectures on Austen and the Regency period, guided walks to locations connected to her novels, a Regency ball, and workshops on topics like dance or costume. Most need separate tickets booked in advance.
Can I see Austen's Bath outside festival week?
Yes. The Jane Austen Centre runs year-round, and there's a free self-guided walk past the houses she lived in that you can do any time, without waiting for the festival.