When Does Bridgerton Season 4 Start? 2026 Release Date, Trailer & Updates

What Is Bridgerton About?

From Shondaland and new showrunner, Jess Brownell, Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it's time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope's attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he's disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly. Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope's growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret.

The new season makes its debut with Part 1 on Jan. 29, turning its focus to Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), the family’s second-oldest son, who’s spent three seasons watching romance from the edges of the ballroom and is finally ready to step into his own fairy tale. Benedict’s change of heart is sparked by the arrival of Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a maid with mysterious secrets (and a penchant for silver). But before the new social season even begins, six exclusive photos from the first four episodes of Season 4 offer an early look at what’s ahead — from candlelit yearning and garden gossip to the kind of tea that actually spills.

In the exclusive photos, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) stroll through the gardens, possibly sharing wisdom and just enough gossip. Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and John Stirling (Victor Alli) glow at a gathering — newly married, smiling, and very much unbothered. Back at the Bridgerton house, time is moving forward: Gregory (Will Tilston) sits for a shave — a small but undeniable sign he’s growing up — while Benedict and Colin (Luke Newton) look on in amusement.

The rest of the images hint at everything Season 4 is juggling — our romantic leads, Benedict and Sophie, sharing a candlelit moment in a shadowy room; Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury in close conversation over tea; and Sophie enjoying a brief moment of calm in a sunlit garden, which you can see above.

These images arrive just after the Bridgerton Season 4 Premiere Masquerade in Paris — a globe-spanning celebration that brought the ton together for an evening of red carpet glamour, cast interviews, and early teases of what’s ahead. Beyond the spectacle, the Premiere Masquerade offered insight into the relationship at the heart of the new season — and how it reshapes the world of Bridgerton itself. “The whole bringing in of a character like Sophie, the downstairs element, just brings a whole new reality to the world of Bridgerton,” Thompson said at the Premiere Masquerade. “I think every season is different, but I think this one really, the DNA slightly changes.” That change ripples through the love story at the center of the season. “I love that they want to settle down, and also because society has told them maybe they can’t — especially for Sophie,” Ha said. “It makes it even more special that maybe they found themselves.”

The ton may be whispering now, but the real conversation starts on Jan. 29 with Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1, followed by Part 2 on Feb. 26.

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