When Does "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale" (2025) Take Place?
"Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale" is a historical fiction film written by Julian Fellowes that released September 12th, 2025. So when is "The Grand Finale" set?
It takes place in the year:
We know this because early in the movie the Crawleys attend a performance of the musical "Bitter Sweet" (1929), first performed on July 2nd, 1929 AD and the English production closed in 1931 AD in the real world. So it must be during or after July of 1929 AD.
1930 AD
We know this because early in the movie the Crawleys attend a performance of the musical "Bitter Sweet" (1929), first performed on July 2nd, 1929 AD and the English production closed in 1931 AD in the real world. So it must be during or after July of 1929 AD.
Furthermore, the characters discuss a massive stock market crash. There was a famous and tragic Wall Street Crash which occurred on a day known as Black Tuesday, October 24th, 1929 AD in the real world. So it is most likely during or after October of 1929 AD.
More specifically, later in the narrative Isobel Grey/Lady Merton, Sir Hector Moreland, and Charles 'Charlie' Carson organize an event and then announcers at this event loudly state that it is the 1930 AD annual county fair.
It is the third chronological film in the Downton Abbey story [each being sequels to the TV series "Downton Abbey" (2010)] and can be watched after "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (2022).
