Jane Austen Festival 2025

 

Floral Display in the Parade Gardens celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen

I traveled to the 2025 Jane Austen Festival in Bath solo and with (for me) remarkably little research ahead of time. But the lovely thing about the Festival is that anyone else attending (often most visible by costumery) is willing to point you in the right direction or take your picture. Because we all know that everyone wants good photos in their Regency garments with stunning Bath backdrops. 

While it's been on my radar as a Festival for a while, I was surprised at how many people in Bath at the time, both locals and other tourists, were unaware it was happening. (There were lots of attendees from Canada and the U.S.) I'd prepped for months waking up at 4am to snag tickets for events as they were released, crafting a wardrobe, planning accessories, and fitting it all into my backpack for travel. Bath is a magical place I've visited before, but doing so in costume, walking the streets of history and books in the period garments of the day with lots of other nerds, is next level amazing. The experience may not have fully lived up to my expectations, but there were still so many moments I focused on soaking in the atmosphere and vibes. I added to this in the "down time" by reading Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe (1794) (as referenced in Northanger Abbey), a Persuasion-inspired rom-com, and watching adaptations of each of Austen's novels. 

BY THE NUMBERS: A Summary
1 JASNA member (though there were probably others in attendance)
2 Space Bags
9 Days of Activities
15 events as part of the festival  
6 activities otherwise
5 days of laundry
5 Dresses 
2 Jackets & 2 vests 
1 bonnet, 1 reversible reticule
1 pair of shoes, 1 set of Regency short stays
and lots of ribbons 

I still managed this whole trip (11 days in Bath, 6 days elsewhere) in a backpack. I made or modified my entire wardrobe and spent an hour ironing on the other side, with an Austen film in the background. My "Satan's Phaeton" sleeveless spencer even had a photo shoot by a journalist, though I haven't found them posted anywhere online. 

There are so many activities and they sell out so quickly. I got my top options, but definitely didn't get to do everything I wanted to do. This was a big topic of conversation at the first event I did, Day 1 - the afternoon Hartfield Country Dance at the Guildhall. My first dance experience was so fun! Way easier to learn and get involved than I expected (7/10 on the introvert scale). This was the only ball ticket some other attendees got, the only event ticket some of them were able to get, and were swapping ideas for other events happening around Bath at the time that weren't affiliated with the Festival. I got the impression that one of the weekends is better attended than the other, but since I was traveling all the way there (23 hours), I was staying for the whole thing. There was a Colorado student and her mom, visiting from her study abroad university in Edinburgh; a couple from Switzerland who attend Napoleonic dances regularly; a couple from California working on their Bridgerton fantasies; a Dutch mother and daughter; my partner for the last several dances, Grace, who was also there by herself. And we got much more exercise than we expected; Regency dancing is sweaty business! 

  

The next day was the Costumed Promenade through town. I learned later that this year's was limited to 2000 participants by Bath police and that they were organizing the route, rather than the Festival. Sounds like that won't be the case in the future, since it was pretty disorganized... But it is a Guinness World Record-holding event for the largest Regency costumed event. I made a couple of the social media videos! 

Later that day, I attended a lecture on (working) women in Regency society, particularly working women, held behind the Holbourne Museum. While it was interesting, and I'm glad this talk was available, I wouldn't say I learned anything. The same evening had a showing of the 2005 "Pride and Prejudice" at Bath Abbey. They used headphones for everyone, which makes some sense, and I wasn't bothered by them as much as expected. A cool experience, one I tried to soak in, though it was just largely watching a movie. 

The next day included a duel. There was a talk on the history of the duel, the reality of the duel in the Regency period, and then two examples: one for "show" as seen in movies, and one more historically-accurate. It was pouring down rain which wasn't ideal for the dampened shooters, but made for a lovely walk through Sydney Gardens afterward. 

I'd heard from the organizers that we could pick up temporary library cards at the Bath Library, so I made sure to pick one up. A small, perfect accessory! Had I needed to, I could have picked up some reading material, but I did bring a sufficient amount with me. There were several book discussions at the library throughout the Festival, but I wasn't able to get tickets to any of them. I did stop by the Book Fair, but it was Austen Christian fiction exclusively... not my area of interest. I did continue my wander through new parts of town, finding Rev. Austen and Frances Burney's grave sites and a beautiful (if windy and rainy) view over town. One of the few days/moments I wasn't in period dress.

The next day included a Murder Mystery Luncheon, "Sense & Sensibility" themed. Our table included a group of friends from California who travel to one period-costumed event each year (Egyptian, Carnival in Venice, Colonial Williamsburg, etc.) as they're all current or former U.S. Civil War reenactors and seamstresses. Lunch at the Abbey Hotel was delicious, the actors were amusing - though no one particularly cared who killed Mr. Willoughby. 

Next stop was a lecture on "Diversity in Jane Austen's Bath" by Dr. Timothy Manningmore, on the racial and socioeconomic diversity in Georgian bath, with a peek into gender non-conformance. It was very interesting and talked about how inclusive and ahead-of-its-time Georgian Bath was, even with detractors. I plan to read more about the Battle of the Assembly Rooms. Similar lectures are on Dr. Manningmore's webpage. And I ended the day at the theatre with "Potted Pride & Prejudice." Turns out, I'd seen this show under a different name a few years ago, so the comedy wasn't surprising. I did wear a turban and an adapted dress I picked up at a local costume shop; at the show, I met another Alaskan who had had THAT dress made years and years ago for a ballet performance and passed it along, where it eventually ended up in my hands. Crazy that we were both in Bath at the same show! 

It was a busy workshop day, after that, and learning to fence came first. I've been interested in fencing for a while and was so looking forward to finally trying it out. This was another workout, taught by the Bath fencing club, but so much fun! Glad I had time to quickly shower off before heading to the fabric dyeing workshop - something else I've been wanting to try. (Workshop by Lindsey Holmes) We looked at all the colors that the Georgians would have been able to make from plant matter, plus or minus rust and chalk, to liven up the streets. I was in charge of a pot of Madder, which was a red-orange not dissimilar to my dress. I think we found the black bean water most fascinating; it started as a tealy-blue, with a few additions turned indigo, and with a few more turned mustard yellow! 

A semi-spur of the moment addition to my Austen adventure was a tour of the Bath Masonic Lodge. It did play host to a Festival event and a Festival-related event, but I started by doing their standard tour. We were given an extensive history of this historic theatre, turned Catholic church, turned Masonic Lodge, which it has been since the 1800s. The oldest of the 13 Lodges in residence predates 1732. It's got Templars, 800+ graves of Napoleonic Catholic women, WWII rubble... Being familiar with Masonic lodges, it was so interesting to see how this building adapted its "private" use during "public events," with carpets rolled back, chairs moved, etc. 

But it was the pictures of the Regency soiree at the Roman Baths that had me sold on attending the Jane Austen Festival. While I thought there would be more candlelight, it was magical. Elderflower soda at the door, a true Regency announcement of each guest, music and mingling. I followed a French woman in and chatted with a couple girls from Spain. A woman from Wyoming (the Spanish protectorates) recognized my celestial Ursa Major spencer as the Alaskan Flag and some sisters from Kentucky took my picture. I didn't take many pictures, just trying to continue soaking in the atmosphere. The sunset on the Abbey, the chatter, the lights on the water... 

I managed to get tickets for the dinner and ball after the Soiree, so the dancing commenced! Once again, so fun, so sweaty, so perfect. I sat next to one of the festival stewards at dinner who gave our table a peek into the Festival's organization. We all chatted about costumes and traveling with them. As was inevitable, we jumped into Austen book and movie discussions before the dancing recommenced. We could have danced all night, but the carriages were eventually at the door and I glided home on cloud nine, brainstorming how to host an Austen dance. 

After busy and exciting days, the weather was nice enough for my own Box Hill picnic with strawberries at the Palladian Bridge in Prior Park. While I was lead astray by Maps and was unnecessarily sweaty, I spent about 5 hours reading by the bridge and the pond. I waited for the bridge to be empty and get some perfect shots, but ended up a bit rushed at the end before the park closed. They're all out of focus, unfortunately. But it was a gorgeous day (apart from the giant mosquito hawk I accidently trapped in the gathers of my skirt), a cute picnic, ducks and water and sunshine, and the spooky "Mysteries of Udolpho." The day ended at the theatre, again, this time to "The Complete Works of Austen (abridged)." I've seen and loved the abridged works of Shakespeare play and had high hopes. Thank goodness they were proven correct! This play was exactly what I needed - the fun in Austen, the depth in Austen, the fandom, the impact... 

The Festival may have been winding down, but there were still things to do on the list! I participated in a fascinatingly-organized mobile theatrical production that moved around the Royal Crescent telling a Pride & Prejudice-inspired story as we were passed from cast member to cast member. It was such an interesting format by the Natural Theatre Company! They call them "walkabout performances" and I'd love to see more of them. 

Then came a ghost tour. While there was an official ghost tour as part of the Festival, Bath still has other ghost tours and I booked tickets through one of those. The guide was dressed in a later period and none of the other guests were there for the Festival, most of them not dressed for an evening in the wind, which wasn't an issue given *ahem* Alaskan AND the layers of period dress. We walked Bath at night, which wasn't new to me given the late performances and activities, but heard the stories of Bath's spooky histories. I've done lots of ghosts tours in my travels as a different take on a history tour and this one delivered, too! Roman history, Georgian history, modern... including a haunting and exorcism that took place between the last time I visited Bath and this one! Unlike most, this tour did leave me a little uneasy.

The end-of-Festival mini Promenade was the next morning. Much less official, anyone can pile in, costume or not, though most still were costumed. I walked next to a woman from Washington through the Royal Victoria Park, Botanic Gardens; the Promenade ended in front of the Royal Crescent. We thought there was a group photo, but as far as we could tell, no one took one. After that, I headed to the Baths to taste again of the waters. They aren't terrible, but they aren't awesome. The process for doing so had changed since the last time I went, but I asked a guard at the door and it all worked out. It did not solve all my problems. 

Croquet was next, which was also fun on a beautiful day at the Bath Croquet Grounds. With sufficient flat grass, I'd play more croquet. I'm sure we weren't the worst beginners. The others on my team and the opposing team were a group of friends from Maryland/NY/NJ, one of whom is currently studying in the Czech Republic. We chatted over scones and tea afterward. This was my last Festival-based event. 

But I did go to Adrian Lukis' one-man show "Being Mr. Wickham" at the Masonic Lodge. He played Wickham in the 1995 BBC production of "Pride & Prejudice" and spent some of COVID writing and researching this show of Wickham's early years and age (now 60) since the official story ended. It wasn't what I expected - just a man, a chair, a candle, and a bottle of wine - but interesting none the less. He discusses his largely happy marriage, which still involves plenty of flirtations from himself and his wife to various other parties. 

I was expecting, on the whole, the Festival to be more immersive. I recognize that was a little much; you can't fully transport a town in time, even one that already retains so many of its historic elements. One must wait for traffic when moving between venues and pass fast fashion stores and busloads of weir-viewers. While some of the individual events were also not quite what I anticipated, I had many perfect moments. Moments of stillness and enjoyment, conversations with other nerds and tiny pieces of time travel.