Bridgerton season 4 is set down to release in early 2026, and as we come closer and closer to 2026 many in the fandom are turning their thoughts to when in 2026 season 4 may release, and - just as importantly – when might Netflix announce the release date. There are some potential clues as to when the release date may be for season 4, clues that suggest the release date will be announced in the not too distance future – maybe even this week!
So what are the clues that hint at when the possible release date will be? Below I will look at each of the signs, and then end with my prediction of both a release date and potential announcement date.
Season of Love: Season 4 has been teased with the tagline ‘Season of Love’, hinting that the promotion will lean into the idea of a season of love. That is not to say that other seasons have not been seasons of love, but I this hints as to the idea of a season of love being the central theme of the promotion for the season, in the same way that spring was the central theme for season 3, including a play on the ship name Polin with a tie in to an allergy medication for 'Pollen' season.
Valentine’s Day Fan Event: This year Netflix held an online Valentine’s Day fan event for season 4, this was streamed live from London. These fan events have been held for previous seasons, the first one being in 2022 for season 2 just over a month before its release in March. In 2023 a Valentine’s Day fan event was held for Queen Charlotte which released in May of that year, and another event was held in 2024 ahead of season 3’s release. It should be noted that the Valentine’s Day event for season 4 included the release of a number of stills as well as a behind the scenes video.
Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix
Netflix Upfronts: This is slightly different to previous seasons as this is the first year that content for Bridgerton has been released for the upfronts, meanwhile nothing was released for Tudum – in fact Bridgerton was not even represented at Tudum this year, the first time since the 2021 Tudum. For the upfronts Netflix released a sneak peek and some more stills whilst confirming that Bridgerton had been renewed for season 5 and season 6.
TV Tie in Book: The book with the cover to tie in to the series is currently slated for release in January. For previous seasons the book has been released within weeks of the series being released (note that it was delayed for both season 2 and season 3). If the release date remains as it is currently then that could be an indicator of the release date.
These factors all suggest that the release of season 4 will be timed to capitalise on Valentine’s Day in February, however, there is a possibility that the window for the release of part could be mid-January – mid-February, but what are the most likely dates for a release? Below are what I believe are the most likely dates for part 1 to be released.
- 15 January 2026: Assuming Netflix releases on a Thursday as this is the closest Thursday to the currently listed release date for the book. But is it too close to the release of the final of Stranger Things?
- 12 February 2026: Again, making the assumption that Netflix will be releasing on a Thursday, then this date is possible as the Thursday before Valentine’s Day
Thursday is the most common day recently for Netflix Originals to be released on, but we have seen a shift in this to other days, for example Wednesday season 2 released on a Wednesday, so what if Bridgerton season 4 was to release on a day other than a Thursday, what could be the most likely release dates?
- 14 January or 11 February 2026: Either of these dates could be a possibility if Netflix chooses to release season 4 on a Wednesday as they are the the days before the possible Thursday release dates above.
- 14 February 2026: This is a long shot for the release date, however, it would fit in well for the ‘Season of Love’ theme, and create a great marketing opportunity.
In my opinion the most likely release date is 12 February 2026 (or 11 February 2026 if they choose to have it released on a Wednesday). This is the date I have believed to be the most likley release date since the Valentine's Day event earlier this year, and have previously mentioned it on my Tumblr Blog. If this is the release date when might it be announced?
The release date for season 1 was announced approximately 10 weeks before the season released, this is the shortest period between announcing the release date and the season releasing. For season 2 the first anniversary of season 1 was chosen to announce the release date, which was 3 months later. The release date for season 3 was announced in December 2023, 5 months prior to the season releasing, though it is unknown if this was the planned announcement or not as it was inadvertantly posted - then hastily removed - on social media pages, but it is likely that it will be a similar time frame for season 4, thus having the season release date announced about 5 months prior to the release, or even as far out as 6 months. I have two theories as to when they could announce the release date for season 4.
- 11 September (or a day either side of it): This date will mark the one year anniversary of the announcement of Yerin Ha as Sophie, and it will be 5 months before 12 (or 11) February 2026, and is also a week after part 2 of Wednesday is released, so the biggest release of the year won't distract from the news.
- This week. I know, it seems unlikely, but we have seen an increase in Bridgerton posts on Shondaland's Instagram, including 3 in a row this week, so it is possible that they are dropping hints that something is coming, and will extend the timeframe from announcement to release to six months, and announce this week.
It will be interesting to see if the announcement will come within hours of me posting this, or if it is still weeks - or months - away. Will it be a Valentine's Day release? Or will it be earlier (or later)?
