80 years of dates
UK Bank Holiday Dates, 1971 to 2050
Look up bank holiday dates for any year and nation, find the last and next bank holiday, and see every extra one-off day and substitute day in one place.
When was the last bank holiday?
England and WalesEngland & Wales
- Last bank holiday
- Summer bank holiday
· 43 days ago - Next bank holiday
- Christmas Day
· in 73 days
ScotlandScotland
- Last bank holiday
- Summer bank holiday
· 71 days ago - Next bank holiday
- St Andrew's Day
· in 48 days
Northern IrelandN. Ireland
- Last bank holiday
- Summer bank holiday
· 43 days ago - Next bank holiday
- Christmas Day
· in 73 days
Bank holiday dates for any year
Choose a nation and a year. Substitute days, moved dates and one-off holidays are labelled.
England and Wales bank holidays 20268 days
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
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.
Bank holiday date changes, 2026 to 2028
The days that do not fall where you might expect: substitute days for holidays that land on a weekend, plus anything moved or added.
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | World Cup bank holidayOne-offScotland men's team qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals | Scotland | |
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)Substitute day | N. Ireland | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day | All of the UK | |
| Monday | 2nd JanuarySubstitute day | Scotland | |
| Monday | Christmas DaySubstitute day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | Boxing DaySubstitute day | All of the UK | |
| Monday | New Year's DaySubstitute day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | 2nd JanuarySubstitute day | Scotland |
Nothing in the rules is changing. These dates differ from a normal year only because Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and the saints' days fall on a weekend, so the next weekday is used instead.
Extra bank holidays: every one-off day since 1971
Extra bank holidays are declared for a national event by royal proclamation. They do not repeat.
Is there an extra bank holiday in 2026 or 2027?
World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026 in Scotland. No other extra bank holiday has been announced for 2026 or 2027.
An extra bank holiday has to be proclaimed by the King on the advice of ministers, and is normally announced months ahead so that employers and schools can plan. Petitions and campaigns for a new one appear most years; none counts until a proclamation is made.
Scotland's World Cup bank holiday, 15 June 2026
Scotland had a one-off bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026 to mark the men's national football team qualifying for the World Cup finals. It applied in Scotland only, which is why Scotland has ten bank holidays in 2026 instead of the usual nine.
As with any bank holiday, employers were not obliged to give the day off: it depended on each contract.
Years when a bank holiday was moved
Regular bank holidays that were shifted to a different date for one year only.
| Observed on | Bank holiday | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Spring bank holiday | Moved to June for the Silver Jubilee | |
| Early May bank holiday | Moved for the 50th anniversary of VE Day | |
| Spring bank holiday | Moved to June for the Golden Jubilee | |
| Spring bank holiday | Moved to June for the Diamond Jubilee | |
| Early May bank holiday | Moved to Friday for the 75th anniversary of VE Day | |
| Spring bank holiday | Moved to June for the Platinum Jubilee |
Past bank holidays, 2021 to 2025
The last five full years in date order. Older years are in the lookup above and on their own year pages.
Bank holidays 2025
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | New Year's Day | All of the UK | |
| Thursday | 2nd January | Scotland | |
| Monday | St Patrick's Day | N. Ireland | |
| Friday | Good Friday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)Substitute day | N. Ireland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | St Andrew's DaySubstitute day | Scotland | |
| Thursday | Christmas Day | All of the UK | |
| Friday | Boxing Day | All of the UK |
Bank holidays 2024
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | New Year's Day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | 2nd January | Scotland | |
| Monday | St Patrick's DaySubstitute day | N. Ireland | |
| Friday | Good Friday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Friday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | N. Ireland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | St Andrew's DaySubstitute day | Scotland | |
| Wednesday | Christmas Day | All of the UK | |
| Thursday | Boxing Day | All of the UK |
Bank holidays 2023
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | New Year's DaySubstitute day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | 2nd JanuarySubstitute day | Scotland | |
| Friday | St Patrick's Day | N. Ireland | |
| Friday | Good Friday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Coronation bank holidayOne-off | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Wednesday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | N. Ireland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Thursday | St Andrew's Day | Scotland | |
| Monday | Christmas Day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | Boxing Day | All of the UK |
Bank holidays 2022
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | New Year's DaySubstitute day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | 2nd JanuarySubstitute day | Scotland | |
| Thursday | St Patrick's Day | N. Ireland | |
| Friday | Good Friday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Thursday | Spring bank holidayMoved | All of the UK | |
| Friday | Platinum Jubilee bank holidayOne-off | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | N. Ireland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | State Funeral bank holidayOne-off | All of the UK | |
| Wednesday | St Andrew's Day | Scotland | |
| Monday | Boxing Day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | Christmas DaySubstitute day | All of the UK |
Bank holidays 2021
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | New Year's Day | All of the UK | |
| Monday | 2nd JanuarySubstitute day | Scotland | |
| Wednesday | St Patrick's Day | N. Ireland | |
| Friday | Good Friday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | N. Ireland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Tuesday | St Andrew's Day | Scotland | |
| Monday | Christmas DaySubstitute day | All of the UK | |
| Tuesday | Boxing DaySubstitute day | All of the UK |
Download the dates (.csv and .ics)
The spreadsheet covers every nation from 1971 to 2050. The calendar files cover five years back and ten years ahead, which keeps them light enough to subscribe to.
How the dates are worked out
Confirmed and calculated dates
GOV.UK publishes the official list a few years ahead. For those years this archive matches it date for date. Every other year is produced from the rules in the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 and the proclamations made under it: fixed dates, first and last Mondays, Easter and the substitute-day convention.
Rules that changed along the way
The list has not stood still. New Year's Day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Boxing Day in Scotland arrived in 1974. In 1978 the first Monday in May was extended from Scotland to the rest of the UK, and the last Monday in May was extended to Scotland. St Andrew's Day followed in 2007. The archive applies each rule only from the year it took effect, so older years correctly show fewer bank holidays.
Why nations differ
England and Wales share a calendar. Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own, which is why the lookup asks you to choose. Read more on the pages for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Browse by year instead
Every year also has its own page comparing all three calendars side by side. Start from the list of UK bank holidays by year, or jump to 2026.
The archive covers 80 years: 1971 to 2050.
Bank holiday dates: questions
When was the last bank holiday?
The last bank holiday in England and Wales was Summer bank holiday on Monday 31 August 2026. In Scotland it was Summer bank holiday on Monday 3 August 2026. In Northern Ireland it was Summer bank holiday on Monday 31 August 2026.
Is there an extra bank holiday this year?
World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026 in Scotland. No other extra bank holiday has been announced for 2026 or 2027.
Why does Scotland have an extra bank holiday in 2026?
Monday 15 June 2026 was made a one-off bank holiday in Scotland to mark the men's national football team qualifying for the World Cup finals. It applies only in Scotland and does not repeat in later years.
Do employers have to give an extra bank holiday?
No. An extra bank holiday does not create a legal right to time off. Whether you get it depends on the wording of your contract, for example whether it promises all bank holidays or names a fixed number.
Do bank holiday dates change every year?
Easter moves each year and the May and August bank holidays are set by weekday, so their dates shift. Fixed-date holidays such as Christmas Day stay put, but the day off moves to a weekday when the date falls on a weekend.
How far back do these bank holiday dates go?
To 1971, the year the Banking and Financial Dealings Act set the modern list of bank holidays. Earlier years followed the Bank Holidays Act 1871.
How accurate are the future dates?
Years published by GOV.UK match the official list exactly. Later years are calculated from the same rules, so they are correct unless the government adds or moves a bank holiday, which is announced by royal proclamation.
Can I download the bank holiday dates?
Yes. A spreadsheet file (.csv) covers every nation from 1971 to 2050, and each nation has a calendar file (.ics) you can import into Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar.