The Party is a 2026 five-part psychological thriller from ITV, based on the 2017 novel by Elizabeth Day. It was written by Sarah Solemani and directed by Viviane Andereggen. Luke Evans plays Martin Gilmour, and Tom Cullen plays Ben Fitzmaurice. Sarah Solemani, Joanna Scanlan, Lydia Leonard, Lindsay Duncan and Douglas Hodge are also in the cast.

The book is set in the Cotswolds, but the crew moved the whole story to South Wales, with Oxford scenes added. If you enjoy a good thriller, you can find more in our series section and across our Wales collection.

Martin Gilmour is a journalist who has been friends with Ben Fitzmaurice since their school days. Martin grew up in a very different world from Ben, who comes from a rich family and has political plans.

Years later, a birthday party at the Fitzmaurice family home takes place on the same day a Conservative Party leader resigns, and a tragedy follows. While the police ask questions, Martin fears that old secrets will come out. The story jumps between the party, the investigation and their past.

The Party premiered on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 9 pm on ITV1 and ITVX, as noted by Brit Brief. The series has five episodes.

The show airs on ITV1 and streams on ITVX in the UK. ITV’s press office also lists STV and STV Player. It is made by World Productions and Stoic Productions with ITV Studios.

When and Where Was The Party Filmed?

Series Name	The Party
Genres	Psychological Thriller, Drama, Mystery
Filming Locations	South Wales (Llanharan, Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea) and Oxford, England
Filming Dates	October 2025 to winter 2025 (start date official, wrap not confirmed)
Cinematography by	Not confirmed yet
Release Date	October 11, 2026

ITV’s press release says filming started in Wales in October 2025. The production had support from Creative Wales, and it ran through a wet winter. Luke Evans said it “rained almost every day for three months.” Cast and crew were also spotted at Roath Park in Cardiff in December 2025. ITV has not shared a wrap date. We could not confirm who handled the cinematography, and we will add it as soon as it is credited. For more shoots across the country, visit our UK page.

📍Llanharan House, Rhondda Cynon Taf

Llanharan House is the star of the show. It plays Denby Hall, the Fitzmaurice family home where the party happens. TV Guide says the Georgian mansion was built around 1753 and sits in about 40 acres of parkland, close to the Glamorgan Ridgeway walk. It has a link to fox hunting, and Margaret Thatcher once used it for a conference while she was Prime Minister. The house has also appeared in Sherlock, Upstairs Downstairs and Doctor Who.

Brit Brief says the front of the house and many party rooms were shot here, while Merthyr Mawr House in Bridgend was used for the back rooms and bedrooms, and the Temple of Peace in Cardiff stood in for the chapel. In other words, Denby Hall on screen is a mix of three places. The party tent was reportedly built at Dragon Studios in Bridgend.

Visiting: The house is on the edge of Llanharan in South Wales. TV Guide says the East Wing can be rented as a two-bedroom suite. Please check booking details before you plan a trip.

📍Howell’s School, Llandaff, Cardiff

Howell’s School in Llandaff was used for the school scenes, according to Brit Brief. It stands in for Burtonbury School, the place where Martin and Ben meet, and both the outside and the classrooms were used. The dormitories were reportedly shot at the Margam Discovery Centre in Port Talbot, and the school rugby field was Llandaff Rugby Club. School years are a big part of the story, so these places matter. Brit Brief is the only source we found for this list, and no official one has been shared, so please treat the details as reports.

📍Swansea Guildhall and Other Court and Police Sets

The Swansea Guildhall on Guildhall Road North is a Grade I listed building. TV Guide says it plays Oxford in episode 2, and Brit Brief adds that it doubled as a police station. The police scenes with Martin were also reportedly shot at Heath Park West in Cardiff, and Sessions House in Usk stood in for the Oxford crown court. If you like Welsh settings, our guide to Falling covers more of Cardiff and South Wales.

📍Roath Park and Mocka Lounge, Cardiff

Roath Park is a popular public park in Cardiff with a big lake and gardens. Cast and crew were seen filming here in December 2025, and Luke Evans was seen preparing for scenes. We do not know which scenes were shot, so please do not assume a specific spot. Mocka Lounge, a cocktail bar on Mill Lane in Cardiff, was also used, per TV Guide, and another bar called Nightshade is on the Brit Brief list. For a different look at Cardiff, see our guide to The Other Bennet Sister, which filmed at St Fagans.

📍An Ystrad Mynach House Doubling as Barcelona

In episode 5, the story moves to a luxury villa in Barcelona, but the crew did not go to Spain. TV Guide says a house in Ystrad Mynach was changed to look like a Barcelona villa, and an aerial shot of Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf was added to sell the idea. The house is reportedly a holiday rental, but its name has not been confirmed by ITV, so please treat it as unconfirmed.

📍Oxford, England

Real Oxford was used for the university flashbacks. TV Guide says Exeter College supplied the Front Quadrangle and entrance tower, and Brit Brief adds the New College Cloisters for school corridors. In the novel, these scenes are set at Cambridge. Cardiff University buildings, including the Glamorgan Building, were also reportedly used for Oxford.

The Party Behind the Scenes

Here are the behind-the-scenes details we could find, with who shared them and when. We could not find a cast or crew Instagram post that we could open and check, so we are not linking one here.

To make your search for The Party filming even more interesting, here is a fun fact from the set. Luke Evans told WalesOnline that he walked his dog in Roath Park between shoots, and said he cooked lots of food and had friends and family visit, because filming at home let him do things he normally could not. The quote was reported by Brit Brief on October 10, 2026, the day before the premiere. He also explained the big change from the book: “Well, why not just shoot the whole thing in Wales?”

Elizabeth Day told Country & Town House that she had already asked to be an extra in the show, and Joanna Scanlan said the Wales shoot felt like a homecoming, since she is Welsh and has worked in Cardiff often. She called the process “really classy,” according to Country & Town House.

In an RTS interview covered by Books of Brilliance on October 11, 2026, Day said the show’s birthday party has a circus theme that is not in her novel. She linked it to the freedom of the performers and the strict world of the Fitzmaurice family. The same piece says Sarah Solemani shaped Martin’s character after getting to know Luke Evans, including his religious background and his bond with his mother.

We will add more cast and crew Instagram posts and set photos here as soon as they are shared.

Is There Any Trailer Available for The Party?

Yes, the official trailer is available. A short teaser with Luke Evans in a blood-stained shirt came first, as noted by Country & Town House, and a full trailer was covered by the Irish News on September 16, 2026. It shows Martin in a police interview room being asked where he was “at the time of the shooting” at Denby Hall, along with flashbacks to the two friends as boys.

The trailer was released for ITV, though the page we found did not name the YouTube channel. The series premiered on October 11, 2026, and it is available on ITV1 and ITVX.

FAQs

Q1: Where was The Party filmed?
A1: The Party was filmed mainly in South Wales, around Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea and Rhondda Cynon Taf. Some Oxford scenes were also shot in England.

Q2: Which house is Denby Hall in The Party?
A2: The front of Denby Hall is Llanharan House in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Other rooms were reportedly shot at Merthyr Mawr House and the Temple of Peace.

Q3: Was The Party filmed in the Cotswolds?
A3: No. The novel is set in the Cotswolds, but the series was filmed in Wales.

Q4: Was the Barcelona villa in The Party real?
A4: The scenes were shot at a house in Ystrad Mynach, Wales, with an aerial shot of Barcelona added.

Q5: When was The Party filmed?
A5: Filming began in October 2025 and went through winter. ITV has not shared a wrap date.

Q6: When and where can I watch The Party?
A6: It premiered on ITV1 and ITVX on October 11, 2026.

The Party turns the houses, schools and parks of South Wales into a rich English world of secrets and class. Llanharan House is the main attraction, but many smaller places, from a Cardiff school to a Swansea hall, help build the story. Some details still depend on one report, and we will update this guide as ITV confirms more. If you like a good drama, take a look at our South Wales collection, and check back soon for more filming-location guides.