Bank holidays 2026
There are 8 in England and Wales, 10 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland in 2026. Below are the bank holidays 2026 dates for every nation, with weekdays, substitute days and long weekends.
| 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 DayNext | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Friday | 2nd January | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday | World Cup bank holidayOne-offScotland men's team qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Monday | St Andrew's DayNext | |
| Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Tuesday | St Patrick's Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)Substitute day | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Friday | Christmas DayNext | |
| 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 holidays that do not fall on their usual date in 2026, and any one-off extras.
One-off bank holiday
World Cup bank holiday. Scotland men's team qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals.
Scotland
Substitute day
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day): the usual date falls on a weekend.
N. Ireland
Substitute day
Boxing Day: the usual date falls on a weekend.
All of the UK
Easter Sunday is 5 April 2026. Good Friday is Friday 3 April 2026, a bank holiday across the UK.
Easter Monday is Monday 6 April 2026, a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not in Scotland. The Easter weekend 2026 runs from 3 April to 6 April.
The Early May bank holiday is Monday 4 May 2026 and the Spring bank holiday is Monday 25 May 2026.
The August bank holiday is Monday 31 August 2026 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Monday 3 August 2026 in Scotland.
The Christmas Day bank holiday is Friday 25 December 2026 and the Boxing Day bank holiday is Monday 28 December 2026, giving 4 days off in a row with the weekend.
New Year's Day follows on Friday 1 January 2027, with Scotland's 2 January holiday on Monday 4 January 2027.
Every 2026 bank holiday in date order and which parts of the UK have it.
| Date | Bank holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | N. Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2nd January | No | Yes | No | |
| St Patrick's Day | No | No | Yes | |
| Good Friday | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Easter Monday | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Early May bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Spring bank holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| World Cup bank holidayOne-off | No | Yes | No | |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)Substitute day | No | No | Yes | |
| Summer bank holiday | No | Yes | No | |
| Summer bank holiday | Yes | No | Yes | |
| St Andrew's Day | No | Yes | No | |
| Christmas Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Boxing DaySubstitute day | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Total bank holidays in 2026 | 8 | 10 | 10 | |
The 2026 bank holidays grouped by month.
· New Year's Day
All of the UK
· 2nd January
Scotland
No bank holidays.
· St Patrick's Day
N. Ireland
· Good Friday
All of the UK
· Easter Monday
England & WalesN. Ireland
· Early May bank holiday
All of the UK
· Spring bank holiday
All of the UK
· World Cup bank holiday
Scotland
· Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) (substitute)
N. Ireland
· Summer bank holiday
Scotland
· Summer bank holiday
England & WalesN. Ireland
No bank holidays.
No bank holidays.
· St Andrew's Day
Scotland
· Christmas Day
All of the UK
· Boxing Day (substitute)
All of the UK
Bank holidays are filled in green. Use the print button at the top of the page for a paper copy.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
How the 2026 bank holidays join up with weekends in England and Wales.
1days off
Thu 1 Jan
New Year's Day
4days off
Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Apr
Good Friday + Easter Monday
3days off
Sat 2 May – Mon 4 May
Early May bank holiday
3days off
Sat 23 May – Mon 25 May
Spring bank holiday
3days off
Sat 29 Aug – Mon 31 Aug
Summer bank holiday
4days off
Fri 25 Dec – Mon 28 Dec
Christmas Day + Boxing Day
Worked examples for a Monday to Friday week in England and Wales.
Book 4 days, get 10 off
Book Mon 30 Mar – Thu 2 Apr
Off from Sat 28 Mar – Mon 6 Apr
Book 4 days, get 9 off
Book Tue 5 May – Fri 8 May
Off from Sat 2 May – Sun 10 May
Book 4 days, get 9 off
Book Tue 26 May – Fri 29 May
Off from Sat 23 May – Sun 31 May
Book 4 days, get 9 off
Book Tue 1 Sep – Fri 4 Sep
Off from Sat 29 Aug – Sun 6 Sep
Book 3 days, get 10 off
Book Tue 29 Dec – Thu 31 Dec
Off from Fri 25 Dec – Sun 3 Jan
Plan your own 2026 leave for any nation or working pattern →
If your holiday year runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, these are the bank holidays that fall inside it.
There are 8 in England and Wales, 10 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland in 2026.
Easter Sunday is 5 April 2026. Good Friday is Friday 3 April 2026 and Easter Monday is Monday 6 April 2026. Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland.
Good Friday 2026 is Friday 3 April 2026. It is a bank holiday in every part of the UK.
The Early May bank holiday is Monday 4 May 2026 and the Spring bank holiday is Monday 25 May 2026.
The Summer bank holiday is Monday 31 August 2026 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Monday 3 August 2026 in Scotland.
The Christmas Day bank holiday is Friday 25 December 2026 and the Boxing Day bank holiday is Monday 28 December 2026 (a substitute day).
Yes. The Boxing Day bank holiday in 2026 is Monday 28 December 2026, a substitute day because 26 December falls on a weekend.
Yes. In England and Wales the Christmas bank holidays and the weekend give 4 days off in a row, from Friday 25 December 2026 to Monday 28 December 2026.
Yes. Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) is observed on Monday 13 July 2026 in Northern Ireland; Boxing Day is observed on Monday 28 December 2026 in the whole UK.
Yes, in Northern Ireland. Monday 13 July 2026 is the substitute day for Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day), which falls on a weekend.
Yes, in the whole UK. Monday 28 December 2026 is the substitute day for Boxing Day, which falls on a weekend.
Yes. World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026 in Scotland (Scotland men's team qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals).
In the leave year from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 there are 10 in England and Wales, 11 in Scotland and 12 in Northern Ireland.
Some do. Easter moves by up to five weeks, and the May and August bank holidays are tied to a Monday rather than a date. Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day are fixed, but the day off moves to a weekday when they fall on a weekend.