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As soon as “Bridgerton” season 3 wrapped up, with all its juicy drama, horse-drawn carriage chaos, and the big reveal of Lady Whistledown, fans started asking the big question: When is season 4 coming?
If you’re already missing the love story of Colin Bridgerton (played by Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan), don’t worry, you can watch it again anytime you like if you have a Netflix subscription.
Now, let’s talk about season 4. Netflix actually announced it way back in April 2021, so we’ve known for a while that it’s coming. And yes, we already know which Bridgerton sibling will be the main focus in this next chapter (we’ll get into that a bit later). But fans are wondering: Will the show follow the storyline from the book closely this time?
Whether or not it sticks to the original novel, one thing is for sure: season 4 will still be full of fancy outfits, dazzling ballroom scenes, and lots of romantic moments, just like every other season.
So if you’re eagerly waiting for the next round of gossip, glamour, and passion from the Bridgerton world, here’s everything you need to know about season 4, and why it’s worth the wait.
Bridgerton season 4 release date: When will it return?
There’s no official release date yet for Bridgerton season 4, and unfortunately, it looks like fans will be waiting quite a while before it’s ready. According to showrunner Jess Brownell, the next season probably won’t arrive until sometime in 2026. She explained that making each season is a long process; it takes about eight months just to film everything. After that, the episodes still need to be edited, translated into several languages, and written with care before they’re even ready to go. Even though the team is trying to make things move faster, it still ends up taking around two years to get a full season out.
This delay isn’t unusual for Bridgerton. The first season came out in December 2020, then the second was released in March 2022, and season three followed in May 2024. So, fans are used to waiting, and season four seems to be sticking to the same timeline.
Still, there’s some good news. Jess Brownell said that what they’re writing for season four might be the best work they’ve done so far. The writers’ room is wrapping up the scripts, and the creative energy is at its highest. So even though the wait feels long, it seems like they’re putting a lot of care and passion into making season four worth it.
Back in April 2021, Netflix happily confirmed that Bridgerton would be getting both a third and fourth season. At the time, Netflix’s VP of Global TV, Bela Bajaria, said that the show had completely charmed everyone. She praised the creative team, especially Shonda Rhimes, for turning the books into a beautiful, emotional, and romantic drama that fans couldn’t get enough of. She also hinted that Netflix wants to keep Bridgerton going for a long time, because people clearly love it.
Now, while fans have been bracing themselves for a long wait for season 4, there’s actually a bit of hope. It seems like filming for the new season might already be done, or at least really close to being finished. Some fans on Reddit pointed out that there may have been a wrap party last month, something that usually happens when filming ends. Even more promising, actress Nicola Coughlan (who plays Penelope) told a French magazine that “we are coming to the end,” hinting strongly that things are wrapping up.
So, even though the official word is that the next season may not come until 2026, we may get to see it earlier than expected.
How many episodes will ‘Bridgerton’ season 4 have?
Season 4 of Bridgerton is expected to have eight episodes, just like seasons 1, 2, and 3. But right now, it’s still not confirmed whether all the episodes will be released at once, or if Netflix will split the season into two parts like they did with season 3. We’ll have to wait and see how they decide to release it, so keep an eye out for updates!
Bridgerton season 4 cast speculations
Season 3 of Bridgerton focused mostly on the love story between Colin and Penelope, and yes, they got their happy ending, complete with a baby by the finale. But that wasn’t the only drama! We also saw other Bridgerton siblings have big changes: Benedict explored his sexuality more openly, and Eloise decided to leave London society behind to go to Scotland with her sister Francesca, Francesca’s new husband John Stirling, and his mysterious cousin Michaela.
Now, heading into Season 4, a lot of familiar faces will be back. Luke Thompson (Benedict) and Claudia Jessie (Eloise) are returning, along with Nicola Coughlan (Penelope) and Luke Newton (Colin). Newton said he’s not done with the show yet and hinted there’s still more to unpack in season 4.
Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and his now-pregnant wife Kate (Simone Ashley), who led Season 2, will also be back.
We’ll also see more of Francesca (played by Hannah Dodd), and the younger Bridgerton siblings, Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) and Gregory (Will Tilston). Their mother Violet (Ruth Gemmell) is expected to return too, especially since she had some romantic sparks flying with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) last season.
Other returning characters include:
- Penelope’s mom, Philipa Featherington (Polly Walker)
- Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh)
- Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel)
- Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) and his wife Alice (Emma Naomi)
Season 4 will also introduce new characters:
- Sophie Baek (played by Yerin Ha): A mysterious and strong woman from a difficult past who catches Benedict’s eye at one of Lady Bridgerton’s grand masquerade balls.
- Araminta Gun (Katie Leung): A bold, twice-widowed mother of two who is very protective of her place in high society.
- Rosamund Li (Michelle Mao): Araminta’s older daughter, beautiful and proud, who wants to win Benedict’s heart.
- Posy Li (Isabella Wei): Rosamund’s younger sister, who is much gentler and kinder.
Season 4 promises more romance, drama, and elegant chaos as the Bridgerton universe keeps expanding.
‘Bridgerton’ season 4 spoilers and book story
Spoiler alert! If you haven’t read the Bridgerton books or don’t want to know anything about the next season, you might want to stop here.
The Bridgerton Netflix show has mostly followed Julia Quinn’s book series, but not always in the exact same order. Seasons 1 and 2 stayed close to the first two books, The Duke and I and The Viscount Who Loved Me. That means they told the stories of Daphne and Anthony pretty much as written. But the show has made some big changes too, for example, it revealed Lady Whistledown’s identity earlier than in the books.
In season 3, the show skipped over the third book completely. That book, An Offer From a Gentleman, is about Benedict Bridgerton and a Cinderella-style romance with a woman named Sophie Beckett. Instead, season 3 focused on Colin and Penelope’s love story, which is actually the plot of the fourth book, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.
So now, in season 4, the show is circling back to Benedict and finally telling his love story. When we last saw Benedict in the season 3 finale, he had just ended things with Lady Tilley Arnold because she wanted a serious, one-on-one relationship, but he wasn’t ready. He chose to stay single. But that might change fast, in the very first episode of the new season, Benedict will reportedly meet the mysterious Sophie Bae at a masquerade ball hosted by his mother. This will be the start of a love story inspired by the classic Cinderella tale.
Luke Thompson, who plays Benedict, said the season feels magical and romantic, like the fairy tales we heard as kids, but it’s not just fluff. The story also explores the hard realities behind all the fancy parties and rich families in the world of the Ton. Benedict and Sophie’s relationship will touch on both sides: the glamorous, dreamy side of falling in love and the struggles of real life, especially for those not born into privilege.
Thompson said season 4 really tries to balance those two ideas, fairy-tale love and harsh truth, and that true love often happens when both are accepted at once. It’s not just about magic and ball gowns; it’s about choosing love even when things are complicated.
Is there a ‘Bridgerton’ season 4 trailer?
There’s no full trailer for Bridgerton season 4 just yet, but Netflix has been dropping little hints and sneak peeks over the past few months to get fans excited.
Back in July 2024, they released a short 30-second teaser to announce that this season’s main love story will centre around Benedict Bridgerton. The clip welcomed him to the “marriage mart,” basically the social season where everyone’s looking to find a match. It was Netflix’s way of officially saying: Benedict is up next.
Then, on Valentine’s Day 2025 (how fitting!), Netflix gave fans another treat: a behind-the-scenes video featuring Luke Thompson (who plays Benedict) and his new love interest, played by Yerin Ha. The teaser also showed glimpses of the rest of the Bridgerton family hanging out on set, making it feel like a cozy, family reunion full of romance in the making.
Most recently, on March 14, Netflix shared a short preview of one of the most iconic scenes from the book, the moment when Benedict meets Sophie Baek (a small change from the book version, where her last name was Beckett). This magical meeting happens at a glamorous masquerade ball, and the sneak peek gave fans a taste of the fairytale-like romance we can expect in the upcoming season.
So while we don’t have a full trailer yet, these teasers are already building serious hype and setting the stage for a very dreamy season 4.