Bridgerton. Hannah Dodd, Masali Baduza of Bridgerton. Cr. ZOE MCCONNELL/NETFLIX © 2026
We’re one step closer to the arrival of Bridgerton Season 5. Netflix has officially (and quietly through a stealth update on their TUDUM site which didn’t reach the front page and the website doesn’t have search functionality so good luck finding it! This is Netflix’s flagship show and no media blitz – really!?) announced that the upcoming season — chronicling the romance between Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela (Masali Baduza) — has wrapped filming. The fifth season is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2027.
Anyone who has followed the production of Bridgerton will know that the fifth season has been approaching a wrap for several days now, with a few cast and crew members preemptively confirming its completion — not least star Luke Thompson although Netflix were keen to point out that filming had not wrapped on October 20th itself.
The official wrap was mid-to-late last week with some cast and crew members posting on October 21st that it was their final day on set. Later in the week, the cast and crew let loose at a wrap party.
Most likely, the party for the wrap of the fifth season’s filming took place recently. The people in the photos are actors and a hair and makeup team. pic.twitter.com/nbdUPorbKQ
— BridgertonUpdates (@bridgertonupd) October 24, 2026
It was only a matter of time until Netflix made it official, and in the past few days the streamer has shared the news.
Bridgerton Season 5 began filming on March 24, 2026. The production lasted for almost seven months before wrapping. Compared to previous seasons, this season took slightly less time to complete. Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 all filmed for around 7-8 months.
What to Expect from Bridgerton Season 5
The new season is a big one for the franchise, being the first to be headlined by queer female characters. Season 4 set key foundations for Francesca’s story, telling large elements of her main arc, as covered in Julia Quinn’s novel When He Was Wicked. Initially, Francesca was happily married to John Stirling. However, midway through the season, John tragically passed away in his sleep, leaving her bereft. She found comfort and solace in John’s cousin Michaela, who has been gender-swapped from Michael in the books. By the season’s conclusion, Francesca and Michaela’s bond grew more intimate — and their close bond will blossom into romance as they lead Season 5.
Netflix has not released an official synopsis for the show’s fifth season, but Shondaland.com (the production company behind Bridgerton) has published a description:
Bridgerton’s fifth season will be the first to star a queer female couple. The audience will follow Francesca and Michaela as they come to terms with a growing attraction between them while having to navigate the Regency world. Francesca is the most subdued of the Bridgerton children, so her romance with Michaela will also be about igniting a desire that matches what her mother and older siblings have told her. And we’ll see that manifested with a dark-skinned Black woman as the romantic lead.
Beyond the core narrative, Season 5 takes Bridgerton to stories that stretch beyond Julia Quinn’s novels. For instance, Penelope has retired from her work as Lady Whistledown, but another had assumed the moniker. The identity of this new ton commentator is set to remain a mystery for the entirety of Season 5. Meanwhile, the show will no doubt expand on the fan-favorite passionate, secret romance between Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).
When does Bridgerton Season 5 release on Netflix?
It’s still too early for an official release date, but looking at previous release schedules we can roughly estimate a release date for the upcoming season. Season 4 took around 7 months to premiere after wrapping. If the same duration applies, we’re looking at a late Spring 2027 release.
Bridgerton is also returning for Season 6 and a prequel spin-off
While Season 5 has officially wrapped, there’s plenty of movement in the Bridgerton franchise elsewhere. We learned a few weeks back that the writers’ room on Season 6 is underway, depicting the story of Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and her romance with Sir Philip Crane. We presume that star Chris Fulton will return to the role of Sir Philip after portraying the character in Seasons 1 and 2, although Netflix has not confirmed his return.
Moreover, outside of the main series, Netflix has officially put a new prequel spin-off into development, following young Violet and her early romance with Edmund. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about the Violet series here.
