Ten wonderful days of celebrating all things Austen in the beautiful city of Bath

WHERE TO STAY

11TH-20Th SEPTEMBER 2026 

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

Wednesday 25th March, 2026

Jane Austen Festival 2026 Balls Announcement

Dear Friends,

For all those with Marianne Dashwood-levels of impatience and exciteability, here are the main takeaways from this email:

• We are most grateful for your patience

• 2026 ball dates, themes and prices are listed below, for your delight and edification

• BALL TICKETS ONLY will go on general sale on THURSDAY 2nd APRIL at 13:00 BST

• Festival Friends: Please check your emails as Ball tickets go on sale to Festival Friends on Thursday 26th March at 13:00 GMT.

We are delighted to announce the dates and themes of all our 2026 balls and assemblies…

Molland's Afternoon Regency Assemblies

Bath Guildhall

Friday 11th September & Saturday 12th September

14:00 - 16:30

Tickets £60

Don your Regency finest and join us in the Banqueting Room of Bath’s Guildhall for an afternoon assembly of Regency dancing with tea and sweet treats!

Scene of the fortuitous meeting between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth in Austen’s Persuasion, Mollands was a confectioners’ shop in Bath in Regency times. This location (chosen by Austen to shelter her hero and heroine from a rain shower!) will be reflected in the dances and food selected for these afternoon assemblies.

Refreshments (a plate of sweet treats, with tea, coffee or hot chocolate) will be available for an hour. You will be given a token along with your dance card on entering the event, which you can exchange for your plate of sweet treats. Please note, as our Molland’s style refreshments won’t be available until 15:00, we advise that you eat lunch before attending these events. We wouldn’t want anyone fainting!

There will be a cash and card bar open throughout both afternoons. 

These assemblies are costumed events and we request that all ladies and gentlemen dress in the style of the Regency or late 18th Century period.

There are no pre-ball dance workshops for these events, but all the dancing will be called throughout both events by Sally Petchey, accompanied by live musicians, and the dances will be suitable for participants of all experience.

When booking for either of these events, you will need to know

• Name of each ticket holder
• Dietary requirements for each ticket holder

1811 Sense & Sensibility - themed Regency Ball

Bath Guildhall

Friday 11th September

19:00 - 23:00

Tickets £100

“It was very early in September; the season was fine…”

The Jane Austen Festival welcomes you to our 1811 Sense and Sensibility Ball. Dances will be inspired by Austen’s first novel, Sense & Sensibility, and the year in which it was published. 

Dance calling will be provided by Liz Bartlett of the Jane Austen Dancers, with live music from Beau’s Band. Guests will be served a welcome drink of non-alcoholic Regency-style punch on arrival. A supper of savoury & sweet picnic delights will be served during the mid-evening break, followed by tea & coffee to sustain everyone throughout the dancing. There will be a cash and card bar onsite throughout the evening, so please do not bring your own drinks into the Guildhall. 

This ball is a mandatory costumed event and we request that all ladies and gentlemen dress in the style of the Regency or late 18th Century period.

There is no pre-ball dance workshop for this event, but all the dancing will be called throughout the event, and the dances will be suitable for participants of all experience.

When booking for this event, you will need to know

• Name of each ticket holder
• Dietary requirements for each ticket holder

Beginners’ Harvest Ball

Bath Guildhall

Saturday 12th September    18:30 - 22:30

Tickets £100

The Jane Austen Festival welcomes all those stepping onto a ballroom floor for the first time  to their Beginners’ Harvest Ball, held in the Banqueting Room of Bath’s Guildhall. 

Dance instruction from Sally Petchey will be specifically tailored to those who are new to Regency dancing, accompanied by a trio of live musicians. 

Guests will be served a welcome drink of non-alcoholic Regency-style punch on arrival. A supper of savoury & sweet picnic delights will be served during the mid-evening break, followed by tea & coffee to sustain everyone throughout the dancing.

There will be a cash and card bar onsite throughout the evening, so please do not bring your own drinks into the Guildhall. 

Dancers’ Harvest Ball

The Pump Rooms 

Saturday 12th September    20:00 - 00:00

Tickets £85

The Jane Austen Festival welcomes experienced Regency dancers to their Dancers’ Harvest Ball in Bath’s Pump Rooms. 

Dance calling, aimed at those with a good understanding of Regency dance terms, will be provided by Liz Bartlett of The Jane Austen Dancers, with live music from Beau’s Band.

There will be a short break for refreshments at 21:45. In the true style of a Regency public assembly, a selection of miniature desserts and sweet treats will be served, accompanied by tea and coffee.

*Tickets for the Dancers Harvest Ball will be offered via Regency dance groups and will not count towards the allotted two ball tickets you are able to buy with your Festival Friends membership Ball code. If you are an experienced Regency dancer and would like to attend this event, please either contact your Regency dance group, or the Jane Austen Festival office via email to [email protected]

Both our Harvest-themed Balls are costume-mandatory events and we request that all ladies and gentlemen dress in the style of the Regency or late 18th Century period. We invite you to add a nod to the season of harvest time - wheat, autumn colours, and any other way to reflect “the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves” in your Regency outfit for the evening.

When booking for either of these events, you will need to know

• Name of each ticket holder
• Dietary requirements for each ticket holder

1815 Emma - themed “Switched Off” Regency Ball

Bath Guildhall

Sunday 13th September

19:00 - 23:00

Tickets £120

The Jane Austen Festival welcomes you to our “switched off” 1815 Emma Ball. Any mobile phones or other digital devices in attendance will be graciously hosted inside signal-blocking pouches for the duration of the event.

Dance calling will be provided by Liz Bartlett of the Jane Austen Dancers, with live music from Beau’s Band. Sean Strange, Jane Austen Festival official photographer, will be on hand to capture a 21st Century portrait of you, included in your ticket and available after the event.

Guests will be served a welcome drink of non-alcoholic Regency-style punch on arrival. A supper of savoury & sweet picnic delights will be served during the mid-evening break, followed by tea & coffee to sustain everyone throughout the dancing.
There will be a cash and card bar onsite throughout the evening, so please do not bring your own drinks into the Guildhall. 

This ball is a mandatory costumed event and we request that all ladies and gentlemen dress in the style of the Regency or late 18th Century period. We invite you to add a reference to our 1815 theme in your Regency attire for the evening- consider fashion plates from the year, a nod to Emma’s strawberries and apple blossom, or Waterloo military references.

A whisper in the ear of Emma fans… Bath Abbey will be hosting a screening of 2020 Emma on Saturday 12th September!

If you rely on any wearable medical technology that links to a mobile phone, we recommend that you attend one of our other dance events. If you require further details, please contact the Jane Austen Festival team prior to tickets going on sale.

When booking for this event, you will need to know

• Name of each ticket holder
• Dietary requirements for each ticket holder

Rose Ball

The Pump Rooms

Wednesday 16th September

20:00 - 23:30

Tickets £110 (Ball only) / £125 (Ball & Pre-Ball dance workshop)

Our 2025 guests looked so very elegant in their pink Regency outfits, we are delighted to host the Rose Ball again in 2026!

We welcome you to an evening of dinner and Regency dancing in Bath's Pump Rooms. Tickets will include a two course dinner, with Regency dances called by Liz Bartlett of the Jane Austen Dancers and live music from Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer. 

This ball is a mandatory costumed event and we request that all ladies and gentlemen dress in the style of the Regency or late 18th Century period. We invite you to continue our "On Wednesdays, we wear pink" theme into the evening and include some pink in your Regency costume for this event!

When booking, you will need to have the following information ready for each member of your party:

• Name of each dance event attendee.

• Main course dinner choice for each attendee:

  • Pork tenderloin, crisp pancetta, Anna potato, heritage carrot 

  • Caramelised onion tart tatin, goat’s curd, charred radicchio, basil, pine nut (vegetarian)

• Dessert:  Strawberry Eton mess, honeycomb crumb

• Tables for dinner seat 8 people each, please note your seating requests during booking. All group bookings will automatically be sat together.

• Dietary requirements 

There will be a Pre-Ball dance workshop for the Rose Ball. It will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday 16th September, 14:30-16:00 in the Percy Community Centre, New Kings Street, Bath.

Purchase dance workshop tickets together with your Rose Ball tickets; choose the Ball & Pre-Ball dance workshop ticket type.

The Jane Austen Festival will be hosting two Masquerade balls in 2026. Different from our Masked Balls of previous years, in 2026 we are inviting guests to attend in their Regency attire with accessories to create a “character outfit” for the evening. 

Friday 18th September 2026:

Regency Masquerade Soiree & Ball

Greek and Roman gods and goddesses theme

The Roman Baths & The Pump Rooms

19:00-23:30

Don your Regency finery, then add a nod to your Greek or Roman god or goddess of choice! Join us by the torch-lit waters of the 2000-year-old Roman Baths for our Greek & Roman gods and goddesses masquerade soiree & ball.

Friday Ball - Main Course dinner choices:

• Roast lamb loin, mustard and herb gremolata, fondant potato, spring greens
  
• Broccoli and roast butternut squash risotto, feta, pea, carrot crisp (vegetarian)

Dessert:

• Plant-based chocolate and salted caramel tart, honey-poached apricot, crème fraîche (vegan)

The Pre-Ball dance workshop for the Friday Ball will take place from 13:30 - 15:00 on Friday 18th September at the Percy Community Centre, New King Street, BA1 2BN.

Saturday 19th September 2026:

Regency Masquerade Soiree & Ball

Neptune Nautical theme

The Roman Baths & The Pump Rooms

19:00-23:30

By the waters of the 2000-year-old Roman Baths, we invite you to attend our Neptune Nautical masquerade soiree & ball. Don your Regency finery then add a Neptune or sea-themed masquerade element on top: water nymphs, merfolk, sea-serpents… we look forward to seeing how you reflect our Neptune nautical theme in your Regency masquerade outfit!

Saturday Ball - Main Course dinner choices:

• Cornish hake, baby potato, tenderstem broccoli, brown butter shrimp
  
• Broccoli and roast butternut squash risotto, feta, pea, carrot crisp (vegetarian)

Dessert:

• Classic lemon meringue pie

The Pre-Ball dance workshop for this event will take place from 14:30 - 16:00 on Saturday 19th September at the Percy Community Centre, New King Street, BA1 2BN.  

Please note, the dance workshops are at different times! 

Tickets £135 (Ball & Soiree) / £150 (Ball, Soiree & Pre-Ball dance workshop

Purchase a ticket to the Pre-Ball dance workshop together with your Ball ticket as workshop tickets are not sold separately.

About the Masquerade events...

During the soirees, circulate and enjoy conversation with your fellow Festival attendees (if you can recognise them!) alongside musical interludes and a welcome drink. There will be a cash/card bar by the Baths for additional drinks.

After enjoying the soiree around the Roman Baths, move upstairs to the Regency Pump Rooms with dance calling provided by Liz Bartlett of the Jane Austen Dancers, and live music from Beau's Band. 

Dancing will commence at 20:00, however you are welcome to remain around the Roman Baths until the soiree ends at 21:00.

There will be a mid-evening break for a two-course dinner, seated in the Pump Rooms Reception Hall and along the Terrace overlooking the Roman Baths. A cash/card bar will be open for ball ticketholders from dinner onwards. On booking, you will have the option to pre-buy bottles of prosecco to be placed on your table for dinner.

Regency costume is mandatory for both these events. We look forward to seeing what you have added to your Regency costume to reflect our masquerade theme, however your costume must be appropriate to the late 18th or early 19th century. Absolutely no togas or tridents please!

When booking, you will need to have the following information ready for each member of your party:

• Name of each dance event attendee.

• Main course dinner choice for each attendee.

• Tables for dinner seat 10 people each, please note your seating requests during booking. All group bookings will automatically be sat together.

• Dietary requirements 

A little additional costuming information…

Masquerades don’t feature in Austen’s novels, but they can be found in the works of Fanny Burney and Maria Edgeworth… although we certainly hope that our Jane Austen Festival guests behave with rather more decorum than some of the philandering characters who attend Masques in 19th century literature!

If you are attending this event, please remember that your costume must, at its core, be a Regency costume. Leaf crowns, draped vine leaves or owl embroidery are very welcome- bare shoulders, ankles and glittery thunderbolts are not. 

Masks are welcome as part of your Regency outfit. Please note that we don’t have a “grand unmasking” at the end of the ball, as masks can get a bit hot and uncomfortable when dancing. So, please feel free to take your mask off whenever you see fit.

If you have questions or queries about how to put together your Regency costume for this event, please chat to the Jane Austen Festival team.

If you’d like some inspiration for the masquerade aspect of your Regency outfit, you might enjoy a glance at the British Museum’s page on gods and goddesses of the Greek and Roman Pantheon.

Please also note: for all our Regency Balls under 14s are not permitted inside the event venues, and attendees aged 14 - 18 must have their own ticket and be accompanied by a Regency costumed adult who also has their own ticket. 

Regency costume is mandatory for all these Ball events. For guidance, please look at our Regency costume advice page.

Booking Tips

Please read the following booking tips with as much care and attention as you read your favourite Austen novel! 

• If you have APPLE or GOOGLE PAY we would recommend you use this to make payments, as it seems to be the quickest and easiest method for our ticketing company FareHarbor to process. It also seems to then bypass additional banking checks and is better for international card payments. Please be aware that all confirmation emails are then sent to the email address associated with your Apple/Google Pay account.
• When a lot of eager Austen-fans are all booking at once, our ticketing system can sometimes get a little flustered; there might be a delay in receiving your ticket confirmation, which can sometimes take up to 24 hours to arrive. So, please don’t panic if you don’t receive it immediately.
• There is now a basket hold function within our booking system. This will allow you to add multiple tickets into your basket and keep them safe for 10 minutes while you input your payment details. 

Ball tickets will go on general sale on Thursday 2nd April 2026 at 13:00 BST

Click the button below to view all these events listed on our website & find the book tickets buttons. 

*Everyone will be able to view the booking system from Thursday 26th March, however until general ticket sales begin, only Festival Friends will be able to access the payment system using their Festival Friend - Ball Events Booking Code: Festival Friends check your emails for a reminder of this code...

Our heartfelt thanks for your attention if you have read this email to its completion! We look forward to seeing you across a ballroom in Bath this September.

Please accept our best wishes for your health and happiness,

The Jane Austen Festival Team
Bath, UK