UK bank holidays 2026
There are eight bank holidays in England and Wales in 2026, ten in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland. In England and Wales they include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the early May and spring bank holidays, the summer bank holiday in late August, Christmas Day and the Boxing Day substitute. The dates come from gov.uk Bank Holidays and are confirmed each year by the relevant government.
The next bank holiday after a given date is simply the first row below that falls in your nation. Easter moves each year because it is set by the lunar calendar: in 2026 Good Friday is 3 April and Easter Monday is 6 April. The clocks change twice a year under British Summer Time: forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.
Every UK bank holiday in 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Applies in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 2 January 2026 | Friday | 2nd January | Scotland |
| 17 March 2026 | Tuesday | St Patrick’s Day | Northern Ireland |
| 3 April 2026 | Friday | Good Friday | England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 6 April 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 4 May 2026 | Monday | Early May bank holiday | England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Spring bank holiday | England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 15 June 2026 | Monday | World Cup bank holiday | Scotland |
| 13 July 2026 | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | Northern Ireland |
| 3 August 2026 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland |
| 31 August 2026 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 30 November 2026 | Monday | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 28 December 2026 | Monday | Boxing Day | England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
Source: gov.uk Bank Holidays. Substitute days apply when a holiday falls on a weekend. Always confirm against gov.uk before booking travel or leave.
Plan your leave around these dates
Several of these holidays sit next to a weekend, so a single booked day can buy a four-day break. The long-weekend maximiser works out the best dates to book for your nation and leave allowance.
Live: next UK bank holiday
The live "next bank holiday" widget, which reads the official gov.uk Bank Holidays feed so the date is always current for all four nations, is being wired in ahead of launch.
More date and deadline tools
Calculators and Data Desk, Dates & Times
Dates & Times's editorial desk builds and documents the calculators, citing the underlying date maths and the official UK source behind every number. Calendar and time tools are checked against primary UK sources such as the gov.uk Bank Holidays API before publication.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026