Bridgerton Season 5: Story Predictions, Release Schedule, and What to Expect

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The beloved period romance drama series Bridgerton has been officially renewed for Seasons 5 and 6.

The announcement of the two-season renewal was made in May 2025, even before Season 4 premiered.

Based on the release pattern of previous seasons, which generally have a gap of more than a year, Bridgerton Season 5 is expected to premiere in late 2027 or early 2028.

While Netflix has not yet confirmed an exact date, production is already underway.

The writers' room for Season 5 has been active since October, and filming is expected to begin in spring 2026.

Showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed in February 2026 that production would begin as soon as Season 4 promotion and pre-production work were completed.

Bridgerton Season 4 premiered its first episode on January 29, 2026, and its second episode on February 26, 2026, focusing primarily on the love story of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek, adapting Julia Quinn's third book, "An Offer From a Gentleman."

The season ended happily for Benedict and Sophie, who finally married in a touching post-credits scene.

Their wedding takes place in the countryside, witnessed by the Bridgerton family, after Benedict successfully rescues Sophie from legal trouble and Violet Bridgerton helps her gain acceptance into society.

Meanwhile, Penelope Featherington, known as Lady Whistledown, decides to retire and reveals her identity to the Queen and the entire kingdom.

However, a surprise twist comes at the end of Season 4 with the emergence of a new, anonymous Lady Whistledown, leaving a major mystery for Penelope and Colin and becoming a central plot point for Season 5.

Francesca Bridgerton's character also undergoes significant development; after her marriage to John Stirling, she develops an interest in John's cousin, Michaela Stirling, who then leaves in the middle of the night.

Francesca's comments about her true love worry Violet, especially considering that in the books, John dies and Francesca finds love with Michael (who is changed to Michaela in the series).

While Netflix hasn't officially confirmed who will be the main focus of Bridgerton Season 5, showrunner Jess Brownell has hinted that Seasons 5 and 6 will center on characters with the initials "E" and "F," namely Eloise and Francesca.

In Julia Quinn's book series, the fifth book is "To Sir Phillip, With Love," which tells the story of Eloise, while the sixth book, "When He Was Wicked," focuses on Francesca.

However, the series has changed the order of the books several times, such as adapting Colin's story (book four) before Benedict's (book three) in Seasons 3 and 4.

Much speculation points to Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) as the main star of Season 5, adapting "When He Was Wicked."

The introduction of Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) in Season 3 and their interactions in Season 4 lay a strong foundation for what will be the first queer romance to be featured as a main storyline in Bridgerton.

If Season 5 follows the story of Eloise (Claudia Jessie), it will be based on "To Sir Phillip, With Love," in which Eloise corresponds with Sir Phillip Crane, a widower.

In addition to focusing on the love life of one of the Bridgerton sisters, Season 5 will also introduce a new central mystery: the identity of the new Lady Whistledown.

After Penelope retires and her identity is revealed, the emergence of this new anonymous gossip writer will open up a compelling and intriguing storyline, affecting the social dynamics of the ton. 

The core cast, including Nicola Coughlan (Penelope), Luke Newton (Colin), Claudia Jessie (Eloise), Hannah Dodd (Francesca), Luke Thompson (Benedict), and Ruth Gemmell (Lady Violet Bridgerton), are expected to return.

Simone Ashley (Kate) has also confirmed her return for the next season, ensuring the presence of fan-favorite characters.