Brighton & Hove Museums- “If one could but go to Brighton!”

Celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday with A Very Austen Christmas at the Royal Pavilion

He loved her, she loathed him. It is a true-life tale that could have come straight from her fiction. But this Christmas, King George IV and Jane Austen will inhabit the same space once more as Brighton’s Royal Pavilion marks the 250th anniversary of the great writer’s birth with A Very Austen Christmas.

Visitors will be transported to a Regency-inspired festive world, encountering favourite characters such as Mr Darcy, the Bennet sisters, Emma Woodhouse, Marianne Dashwood, Mr Knightley, and even Lady Bertram’s pug.

The royal palace will come alive with dancing ballroom silhouettes, themed Christmas trees, delightful afternoon teas, sumptuous banquets, lively talks, historical tours, extraordinary characters and romantic encounters, all inspired by Austen’s work.

The 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth will be commemorated on 16 December 2025, honouring one of the most influential and beloved authors of the Regency age. The Prince Regent (later King George IV) was an admirer and was said to keep one of her novels in every one of his residences. She famously dedicated the first edition of Emma to him, though history suggests her feelings about the king were rather less enthusiastic.

Brighton itself has a rich Austen connection. The seaside town features in Pride & Prejudice and her unfinished novel Sanditon. While her characters revelled in Brighton’s social life, Austen’s own letters reveal her fondness for seaside entertainment and bathing, debunking the myth that she disliked the town. Her brother Henry Thomas Austen’s time in Brighton with the Royal Oxfordshire Militia also hints that she may have visited, drawing inspiration for her novels.

At the Royal Pavilion this Christmas, Jane herself faces a big decision: should she marry for love, for money, or not at all? Visitors will begin their experience with a token that helps guide her fate, uncover diary extracts in each room, and encounter themed trees, festive gossip, and familiar characters along their journey through Britain’s only Regency palace. Father Christmas will also be in residence, and new for 2025 are Father Christmas Storytelling sessions and a Regency Play Parlour dedicated to family fun.

Helen Grundy, Head of Exhibitions and Programming said:

“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, bringing King George IV and Jane Austen back into conversation in the very setting he loved.

“A Very Austen Christmas celebrates 250 years of her wit, wisdom, and romance, inviting visitors to step into her world, meet her characters, and enjoy a festive season that would have made even the Prince Regent smile.”

 

Event Details

A Very Austen Christmas

22 November 2025 – 4 January 2026
Royal Pavilion, Brighton
Free with Pavilion entry; members free
Regency-inspired Christmas decorations, family trail, carols, costumes, Jane Austen-themed activities and more!

 

Celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday and step into the elegance, wit, and charm of the Regency era, where her timeless stories come to life.

 

Specific bookable Christmas Events: Austen- themed

 

Jane Austen at Christmas – In Conversation

Friday 28 November

ROYAL PAVILION, MUSIC ROOM

7pm, £25 (Members £20)

Jane Austen at Christmas in conversation between Zack Pinsent & Dr Hillary Burlock.

 

Austen Christmas Cream Tea

Wednesday 10 December

ROYAL PAVILON, King William IV Room

2pm and 4pm sittings

£30, (Members £25) including Royal Pavilion admission

This Christmas, explore the Royal Pavilion and its Jane Austen inspired decorations, followed by a luxury Cream Tea with a touch of Regency elegance and a spoonful of Austen gossip.

 

Jane Austen & Brighton – with Alexandra Loske

Tuesday 16 December

ROYAL PAVILION, WILLIAM IV ROOM

6pm – 7pm, £25, (Members £20)

Join Dr Alexandra Loske in the beautiful King William IV Room on the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen to hear about the connection between one of our greatest writers, and one of our greatest towns.

 

 

 

Regency Delights: A Very Austen Christmas Tours

Sundays 7, 14, and 21 December

ROYAL PAVILON

2pm

£25 (includes a single-day pass to the Royal Pavilion), £10 for members and annual pass holders

Mr. Henry Adams of Regency Delights will escort you through the festive splendours enjoyed in the age of Miss Jane Austen.

 

Bookable Christmas Events: General

 

Christmas Carol Concert

Wednesday 17 December

Royal Pavilion

£37.50, Members £32.50 (includes interval drink) | Ages 14+

Experience the joy of Christmas carols in the opulent surroundings of the Royal Pavilion’s Music Room.

 

Christmas Banquets

Friday 12, Saturday 13, Friday 19 & Saturday 20 December

Royal Pavilion

£190, Members £170

Over 18s only

Celebrate Christmas in truly regal style.

 

Father Christmas at the Royal Pavilion

Selected dates from 29 November – 24 December

Adelaide Suite

£19 per child, £6 per adult Members £15 per child

Step inside the Royal Pavilion’s magical grotto for a private five-minute audience with Father Christmas.

 

Storytime with Father Christmas

Selected dates 6 – 24 December

Red Drawing Room

£10 per child, £8 per adult Members £8 per child, £6 per adult | Recommended ages 2–10

Gather round as Father Christmas shares a funny and enchanting story written especially for this event.

 

Visit website for more information and to book