Bank holiday guide
August Bank Holiday
The August bank holiday, officially the Summer bank holiday, is the last Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland it is the first Monday in August.
Next August bank holiday
Scotland: Monday 2 August 2027
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Then Monday 28 August 2028.
The short answer
Yes. The Summer bank holiday is a bank holiday across the UK, but Scotland has it at the start of August and everywhere else at the end.
When is the August bank holiday?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is the last Monday in August, between 25 and 31 August. In Scotland it is the first Monday in August, between 1 and 7 August.
Both are Monday holidays, so neither ever needs a substitute day. It is the last bank holiday before Christmas everywhere except Scotland, which still has St Andrew's Day to come.
August bank holiday dates 2027 to 2036
Upcoming dates for the next ten years. Select a year for every bank holiday in it.
| Year | England & Wales, N. Ireland | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | ||
| 2028 | ||
| 2029 | ||
| 2030 | ||
| 2031 | ||
| 2032 | ||
| 2033 | ||
| 2034 | ||
| 2035 | ||
| 2036 |
Show every August bank holiday date from 1971 to 2050
Dates follow the official GOV.UK bank holiday list where published. Later years are calculated from the statutory rules and can change if a holiday is added or moved by royal proclamation.
August Bank Holiday weekend dates 2027
August bank holiday (Scotland)
Sat 31 Jul – Monday 2 August 2027
Three days off with the weekend. The bank holiday is the Monday.
August bank holiday (England, Wales, N. Ireland)
Sat 28 Aug – Monday 30 August 2027
Three days off with the weekend. The bank holiday is the Monday.
Benefits and State Pension over the August bank holiday
If a benefit or State Pension payment is due on a bank holiday, it is usually paid on the working day before. Child Benefit and some Scottish and Northern Irish payments follow their own published dates.
So a payment due on the bank holiday Monday normally arrives on the Friday before. The amount does not change, but it has to last a few days longer until the next one. If money due does not arrive, contact the office that pays the benefit.
Trains and travel over the August bank holiday
It is the last long weekend of summer and one of the busiest of the year on the roads, especially towards the coast on Friday afternoon and back on Monday evening.
Rail engineering work is often scheduled for the weekend and many operators run a reduced timetable on the Monday, so check your route before you set off.
August bank holiday events: Notting Hill Carnival, Reading and Leeds
The Notting Hill Carnival fills west London on the Sunday and Monday of the late-August weekend, and the Reading and Leeds festivals run over the same weekend. Dates and line-ups are confirmed by the organisers each year.
Why Scotland's date is different
The 1871 Act put the summer bank holiday on the first Monday in August for the whole UK. From 1965 England, Wales and Northern Ireland trialled a move to the end of the month to spread out the holiday season, and the change was made permanent in 1971. Scotland kept the original date.
The late-August holiday is not a bank holiday in the Republic of Ireland either, which has its own on the first Monday in August.
What's open on the August bank holiday?
- Banks and most offices are closed.
- Shops, supermarkets, pubs and attractions are open, often with bank holiday hours.
- Schools in England and Wales are still on their summer break.
- In Scotland the late-August Monday is a normal working day.
August bank holiday: questions
When is the August bank holiday in 2027?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is Monday 30 August 2027. In Scotland the Summer bank holiday is Monday 2 August 2027.
What day is the August bank holiday?
It is always a Monday: the last Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the first Monday in August in Scotland.
When is the August bank holiday weekend?
The Saturday, Sunday and Monday ending on Monday 30 August 2027.
Is the August bank holiday the same in Scotland?
No. Scotland has its Summer bank holiday on the first Monday in August, which is Monday 2 August 2027.
Will my State Pension or benefits be paid early over the August bank holiday?
If a benefit or State Pension payment is due on a bank holiday, it is usually paid on the working day before. Child Benefit and some Scottish and Northern Irish payments follow their own published dates.
Do trains run on the August bank holiday?
Yes, but many operators run a reduced timetable and engineering work is common over the weekend. Check before you travel.
Is the August bank holiday the same in Ireland?
No. The Republic of Ireland's August public holiday is the first Monday in August. Northern Ireland has the late-August date, like England and Wales.
Why do we have an August bank holiday?
It was one of the original bank holidays of 1871, created to give workers a summer day off. It was the first Monday in August until England, Wales and Northern Ireland moved it to the end of the month.
Is there a bank holiday between August and Christmas?
Not in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Scotland has St Andrew's Day on 30 November.
When is the August bank holiday in 2028?
In 2028 it is Monday 28 August 2028 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Do I get the August bank holiday off work?
Only if your contract says so. A bank holiday gives no automatic right to time off or extra pay, and employers can count it as part of your 5.6 weeks of statutory annual leave.