Jane Austen is one of Britain’s most distinguished authors, known for her six completed novels characterising life among the landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her skilled prose and wit continue to generate a global fan-base and have inspired a plethora of successful films and TV series.
Less well-known is the writer’s connections with Southampton, in 2025 a line-up of celebratory events is about to set the record straight! Austen is a former resident of Southampton, she attended boarding school here briefly with her sister and celebrated her 18th birthday dancing at a ball in the upstairs rooms of The Dolphin. Many of the historic streets and walkways of the old town would have been only too familiar to her. Read more about Jane Austen's connections to Southampton in our blog post here.
Jane Austen 250 celebrations kick-started with an exhibition of the writer’s travelling desk at God’s House Tower.
Check out the events below, watch this space for the latest updates and get involved in a year-long celebration of perhaps the greatest romantic author to have ever lived in Southampton.
Curated around descendants and families linked to Jane Austen’s time in Southampton, a never-before-seen exhibition of rare paintings, letters, books and personal items will be on display to the public for the first time. The exhibition will focus on Austen’s female network of friends, many of whom could have been the inspiration for some of her iconic female fictional characters.
The actress Sarah Siddons was Jane Austen’s favourite actor. The Sarah Siddons Fan Club Theatre was named in her honour and is delighted to be supporting a range of heritage events organised to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday! They have created the Southampton Jane Austen 250 Events Programme that you can read, download and print here.
This circle of friends included her next-door neighbour Ann Newell, an absentee landlord of plantations and slaves, Charlotte Fitzhugh who married into a wealthy East India Company and was a superfan of Austen’s favourite actress Sarah Siddons, and Anne Middleton, a mixed-race plantation heiress from Jamaica whose private life was splashed across national newspapers. Items on display will include the precious Austen Family Household Book of family recipes and silhouettes first started by Austen’s grandmother. Find out more and book your tickets for Seacity here.
Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride & Prejudice* (*Sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance. This “smart, laugh out loud funny” (Daily Telegraph) show features a string of pop classics including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and You’re So Vain. Book here.
In honour of Jane Austen's 250th birthday, Townhill Park House in Southampton will host a spectacular Regency ball on 13th December 2025. This grand event will bring to life the elegance and charm of the era, offering attendees a unique opportunity to step back in time and experience a setting reminiscent of the famous Netherfield Ball from Pride and Prejudice.
The event will recreate the splendour of balls from both Austen’s real life and her fiction, providing a historically immersive evening of dancing, entertainment, and period-appropriate festivities. She was an acquaintance of Mr and Mrs Middleton who owned the house between 1787 and 1820. Book your tickets here.
A number of walks and tours are being hosted throughout the year, offering visitors a chance to explore Jane Austen's connections with the city. Click the links below to find out more including dates, times and booking information:
Discover Jane Austen’s Southampton with a specially curated walking tour in Southampton’s historic Old Town. Discover the locations that influenced Austen's life and writing, including her family home, the bustling fish market, and the hotel where she celebrated her 18th birthday. This circular tour begins and ends at God's House Tower, offering you a unique glimpse into the life of one of the World’s most celebrated authors. Book here.
The Jane Austen Heritage Walking Trail was launched in 2017 to commemorate Austen’s time in Southampton.
There are eight plaques each at a location associated with Jane Austen. The plaque at the beginning of the trail at Bargate marks the place where seven-year-old Jane, her sister and cousin attended a nearby school run by a Mrs Ann Cawley, only to return home again after a few weeks when the school was closed down after an outbreak of typhus. The author spent many holidays in Southampton and subsequently moved to live in the city from 1806 to 1809.
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