'Bridgerton' Season 5 Will Center A Queer Love Story & It's Coming Sooner Than You Think
Bridgerton season 5 is rapidly approaching, and it’s finally time for another Bridgerton sister to get her time in the sun.
Bridgerton season 5 will center on Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), making this the first time an LGBTQ love story will form the main plot of the season. “It feels groundbreaking. Obviously, there are a lot of great shows that have depicted queer love. We’re not the first by any means,” showrunner Jess Brownell told Netflix’s Tudum. “But to make an entire Bridgerton season about a sapphic relationship feels huge.”
On Tuesday, Netflix shared a first look at the season, confirming that filming is already underway. So, there’s only one question left on our minds.
When Is ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5’s Release Date?
Netflix has not confirmed the release date for Bridgerton season 5. But, given that filming is already underway, the show could be expected as soon as mid-2027.
In the past, there has been a two-year wait between seasons, but that gap tightened slightly when season 4, which focused on the love story between Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), premiered in January 2026, just over a year and a half after season 3 wrapped in June 2024.
Filming for season 4 got underway in September 2024, three months after the season 3 finale aired. However, if season 5 is already filming less than a month after season 4’s finale, the show could be targeting a quicker turnaround than previous seasons.
What Is ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5 About?
Season 5 will be about Francesca Bridgerton’s love story with Michaela Stirling, the cousin of her deceased husband John, who passed away in season 4. Per Netflix’s description, “The fifth season of Bridgerton spotlights introverted middle daughter Francesca (Hannah Dodd). Two years after losing her beloved husband, John, Fran decides to reenter the marriage mart for practical reasons. But when John’s cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza) returns to London to tend to the Kilmartin estate, Fran’s complicated feelings will have her questioning whether to stick to her pragmatic intentions or pursue her inner passions.”
The show is loosely based on the sixth book in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, When He Was Wicked, in which Francesca falls in love with John’s cousin, Michael. However, the show gender-swapped the character of Michael in order to bring a long-awaited queer love story to our screens.
When Will Eloise Bridgerton Get Her Love Story?
As fans of the book series know, book 5 is about Eloise’s love story. However, the show plans to skip past her book for now to focus on Francesca. So, when will we see the most marriage-averse Bridgerton sibling getting her season?
In May 2025, Netflix renewed the series for a fifth and sixth season without confirming which Bridgerton would be the focus of these seasons. We know that, after Francesca, the only Bridgerton siblings left to cover are Eloise, Hyacinth, and Gregory. It seems likely that Eloise will be the focus of Bridgerton season 6, given that Hyacinth and Gregory are still finding their feet in society.