A Regency Romance Comes to Life for Christmas
This festive season, Brighton's Royal Pavilion will host a celebration worthy of a Jane Austen novel. From November 22, 2025, to January 4, 2026, the iconic palace will be transformed for A Very Austen Christmas, marking the 250th anniversary of the beloved author's birth.
The event brings together two contrasting figures from British history: the writer Jane Austen and King George IV. While the Prince Regent was a known admirer of Austen's work, reportedly keeping her novels in all his residences, the author's personal feelings towards him were far less enthusiastic. This unique historical dynamic sets the stage for a compelling festive experience.
Step Into the World of Austen
Visitors will be transported directly into a Regency-inspired festive world, encountering favourite characters from Austen's novels. Expect to see Mr Darcy, the Bennet sisters, Emma Woodhouse, and Marianne Dashwood, among others, brought to life throughout the palace's opulent rooms.
The celebration includes:
- Dancing ballroom silhouettes and romantic encounters
- Themed Christmas trees and sumptuous banquets
- Delightful afternoon teas and lively historical talks
- A special family trail and costumed performers
New for 2025 are Father Christmas storytelling sessions and a dedicated Regency Play Parlour for family fun, ensuring the event appeals to visitors of all ages.
Celebrating 250 Years of Jane Austen
The 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth on December 16, 2025, will be commemorated with a special talk by Royal Pavilion curator Alexandra Loske. This honours one of the most influential authors of the Regency age, whose connection to Brighton, while not definitively recorded, appears in her novels Pride and Prejudice and the unfinished Sanditon.
Daniel Cox, head guide at Brighton and Hove Museums, captured the event's unique appeal: "He adored her books, and she barely tolerated him, but now they are together once more under the same roof in the Royal Pavilion. It is the reunion Brighton did not know it needed."
Throughout the experience, visitors will help guide Jane Austen herself through a pivotal decision about marriage, uncovering diary extracts in each room while enjoying festive gossip and familiar characters along their journey through Britain's only Regency palace.
A Very Austen Christmas runs from November 22, 2025, to January 4, 2026, at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Admission is free with standard Pavilion entry, and members enter free of charge.
