Carriages, costumes and pure Regency drama
This weekend (7 & 8 February), the Royal Pavilion is transformed into a living Regency spectacle as it hosts a special The Royal Pavilion Grand Regency Ball, hosted by renowned historical costume expert Zack Pinsent alongside Brighton & Hove Museums. While tickets for the ball itself are sold out, the historical experience is very much open to everyone.
Visitors can enjoy the extraordinary sight of over 100 guests (from over 16 countries) dressed in authentic Regency costume, filling the Royal Pavilion and Garden with colour movement and theatrical flair. With costumed staff welcoming you on arrival, the sense of stepping back into the early 19th century is impossible to miss.
A key highlight of the weekend takes place on Saturday between 11am and 12 noon, with the official Regency Promenade on the King’s Lawn. This is a rare and captivating moment to see the Royal Pavilion as it would have appeared in its Regency heyday – elegant animated and full of life.
From 4pm on Saturday, visitors can also watch as ball guests arrive by carriage, adding another flourish of Regency drama and a perfect photo opportunity as history quite literally rolls in. On Sunday, guests of the ball will still be floating around, perhaps nursing a hangover or two, but still in true Regency finery.
Across both Saturday and Sunday (11am and 2pm both days), visitors can experience special Regency Delights public tours, led by Mr Henry Adams, a costumed gentleman of 1831. Visitors can allow this accomplished gentleman to escort them through the Royal Pavilion and its gardens as they were enjoyed during their most celebrated years. Over an hour, they can learn how the Prince Regent entertained in unparalleled style and uncover what daily life was like within this extraordinary seaside retreat.
All in all, the weekend offers a vivid journey into the world of the Regency, set within the very palace that defined it. Ball tickets may be sold out, but the spectacle is open to all.
Hedley Swain, CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums, said:
“The Royal Pavilion was always intended to be a place of spectacle, performance and social theatre. This weekend brings that spirit vividly back to life. The Grand Regency Ball and the accompanying public events offer a rare opportunity for everyone to experience the Pavilion as a living, breathing palace once again, not just as a historic building but as the vibrant cultural stage it was in George IV’s time.”
The Royal Pavilion Grand Regency Ball is the jewel in the crown of Zack Pinsent’s The Brighton Regency Festival which takes place from 5-10 February 2026 across various city venues. Other highlights include Stephen Fry and Zack Pinsent In Conversation at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery on Thursday 5 February at 7pm and a special evening soiree at Preston Manor on Friday 6 February. Booking required for all through info.pinsenttailoring@gmail.com
