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

Friday 31st July 2026

Jane Austen Festival Newsletter July 2026

To our fellow Austen-lovers wherever in the world you may be…

Make haste! Please be aware that September is coming on apace, and the final day you will be able to purchase tickets for two of our foodie events is Sunday 30th August:

For both

Pride & Prejudice in Words & Music Dinner Recital at the Pump Rooms (Monday 14th September)

and 

Jane Austen Afternoon Tea at Bath Priory (Tuesday 15th September)

please book before Sunday 30th August. 

This is to allow our team plenty of time to pass on dietary requirements to their catering teams.

We know that, just like Mrs. Allen in Northanger Abbey, many of you like to start your trip to Bath by being “provided with a dress of the newest fashion” and so we thought now the perfect time to release more details of our two 2026 Festival Fayre locations!

With more Austen accessories, clothes, bonnets galore, gifts and goodies than can possibly be accommodated in one venue, we are spreading out over both the Pavilion and the Guildhall this year. To help you plan your shopping trip, a full list of all our traders is here:

Brunswick Room, Guildhall

Anna Tham Collections - Antique and Hand finished pieces of jewellery

Charlotte Atkinson Art - Hand painted watercolour portraits

Hair Story - Regency styled hairpieces, wigs, hair decorations & jewellery

Jane Austen Letters & Gifts - Jane Austen replica letters, themed gifts, magazines & puzzle books

Jane Austen Society - Books, annual reports & society membership

Josephine Willis Millinery - Hats & bonnets

No.1 Royal Crescent - Jane Austen themed books and gifts

Well Read Company - Literary accessories and handbags

Whitchurch Silk Mill - Silk ribbons, shawls, fobs, bookmarks - all with silk ribbon woven at Whitchurch Silk Mill

The Pavilion

Abigail Rose & Laughing with Lizzie- Literary embroidery kits and accessories, Austen books and Austen-themed gifts.

Altogether Austen- Modern clothing and stationary with designs inspired by JA writing. Including a range of crochet reticules made in collab with a yarn artist.

Block House Bath- Georgian and Regency-themed handprinted paper ornaments, paper toys, and handprinted tea towels, wood and fabric decorations.

CabCurio- Jane Austen-inspired bookends and paintings.

Classic Costume- Ready-made Regency dresses, spencers and wrappers, plus small selection of accessories.

Elgar Shirts- Handmade men's linen shirts in 18th century style, fallfront wool breeches and an assortment of Regency style waistcoats.

Farthingale Historical Hats- Historical hats and accessories

Happily Ever Austen- Regency newspaper and keepsakes inspired by the world of Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice.

HatsPeriod- Hats for both ladies and gents.

Jane Austen Centre- Gifts and merchandise. 

Jane Austen's Regency World Magazine- Austen-themed magazines and subscriptions.

Jo Lawler - The Seamly Woman- Second-hand cotton & silk saris and new made cottons & silks.

Little Strumpets & Bath Theatrical- Jewellery, watch fobs, evening bags, parasols and accessories including bonnets and turbans.

Lizzie & Rose- Reasonably priced Regency accessories.

Longbourn Regency Emporium- Jane Austen-themed merchandise: mugs, stationery, tea towels, candles, picnic baskets.

Miss Benford's Emporium- Millinery and accessories.

Mr Mortimer's Wife- Tiaras, jewellery and other accessories.

National Trust Assembly Rooms- A chance to chat with the Assembly Rooms team, and learn about their exciting plans for re-opening…

Papilionaceous- Jacquard silk ribbons, gentlemen’s braces.

Parrots & Peonies- Shawls, cloaks, shoes.

Perfect Little Parcel- Regency corsets, clothing and accessories.

PostScript Books- Meet our official Promenade sponsor and Jane Austen Festival bookseller! Books for lovers of Jane Austen and the Regency period.

Prior Attire-  Historical replicas of Regency-era clothing, ready made-dresses, stays, pelisses, waistcoats, coats, breeches, stocks, capes, great coats, as well as books.

Regency Blue Emporium- Regency-inspired vintage jewellery and other accessories.

Sarah Le Breton Willow- Willow baskets that have been recreated as authentically as possible to baskets that were available in England in the Regency period.

Thomas Fortin Hats- Millinery.

Viscount Folly- Cardboard tissue box cover kits designed to look like miniature Georgian houses.

Entrance into the Friday Festival Fayre is £5 per person (under 16s go free). This includes entrance into both Festival Fayre venues.

Entrance into the Saturday Festival Fayre is included in your Promenade wristband if you are promenading. If you are not promenading and wish to only visit the fayre, the entrance fee is again £5. This again includes entrance into both Festival Fayre venues.

When you purchase fayre entrance, (this can be done at either Festival Fayre venue) you will be given a stamp which is then proof you can enter into the other Festival Fayre location for free. Please be ready to show this stamp to the Festival Stewards on the door, & remember not to wash it off!

*If you visit one Fayre venue on one day, and the other Fayre venue on a separate day, you will be charged twice to get in. The stamp will be different!

Those of you who love sewing your own costumes (we’re sure you’re hard at work!) might like to know that we’ve added another Dorset Button workshop on Sunday 13th September from 15:45 - 17:00. Tickets to both other Dorset Button workshops flew off the virtual shelves, so we’re expecting dorset buttons to be the latest Jane Austen Festival trend! 

Postscript Books Pop-up Shop at BRLSI (14–16 September)

As part of the Jane Austen Festival, Postscript Books will be bringing a special pop-up bookshop to the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution Draper Room (1st floor) from 14–16 September.

Browse a hand-picked selection of books inspired by Jane Austen and the Festival's topics, including titles on the Regency period, British history, biography, literature, art, architecture, gardens and many other fascinating subjects. Whether you're a devoted Austen reader or simply enjoy discovering books at exceptional prices, there's something for everyone.

The Postscript team will also be offering visitors the opportunity to sign up for their free catalogue, giving readers access to hundreds of discounted books delivered directly to their door.

In the meantime, do browse our Jane Austen homepage for a sneak peek at some of the books that will be available during the Festival.

We hope you'll stop by to browse, discover something new and say hello.

And finally, to all those who like the Miss Beauforts of Sanditon who find they require “six new dresses each for a three days visit”, we wish you all the best of luck with your final few weeks of sewing before the festival begins!

Please accept our best wishes for your health and happiness,

The Jane Austen Festival Team
Bath, UK