Bank holiday guide
Is New Year's Day a Bank Holiday?
Yes. New Year's Day is the first bank holiday of the year in every part of the UK. When 1 January falls on a weekend, the day off moves to the next weekday.
Next New Year's Day bank holiday
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Then Monday 3 January 2028.
The short answer
Yes. New Year's Day is a bank holiday in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
When is the New Year's Day bank holiday?
The bank holiday is 1 January whenever that is a weekday. If 1 January is a Saturday or Sunday, the bank holiday is observed on the following Monday as a substitute day.
Scotland also has a bank holiday on 2 January. The two Scottish holidays take the first two weekdays of the year, so a weekend New Year can push the second one to 3 or 4 January.
New Year's Day bank holiday dates 2027 to 2036
Upcoming dates for the next ten years. Select a year for every bank holiday in it.
| Year | Bank holiday date |
|---|---|
| 2027 | |
| 2028 | Substitute day |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 | |
| 2031 | |
| 2032 | |
| 2033 | Substitute day |
| 2034 | Substitute day |
| 2035 | |
| 2036 |
Show every New Year's Day date from 1971 to 2050
| Year | England & Wales, N. Ireland | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1972 | Not a bank holiday | Substitute day |
| 1973 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1974 | ||
| 1975 | ||
| 1976 | ||
| 1977 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 1978 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 1979 | ||
| 1980 | ||
| 1981 | ||
| 1982 | ||
| 1983 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 1984 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 1995 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2001 | ||
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2006 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2012 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | ||
| 2016 | ||
| 2017 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2018 | ||
| 2019 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 2021 | ||
| 2022 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2023 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2024 | ||
| 2025 | ||
| 2026 | ||
| 2027 | ||
| 2028 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2029 | ||
| 2030 | ||
| 2031 | ||
| 2032 | ||
| 2033 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2034 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2035 | ||
| 2036 | ||
| 2037 | ||
| 2038 | ||
| 2039 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2040 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2041 | ||
| 2042 | ||
| 2043 | ||
| 2044 | ||
| 2045 | Substitute day | Substitute day |
| 2046 | ||
| 2047 | ||
| 2048 | ||
| 2049 | ||
| 2050 | Substitute day | Substitute 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.
Christmas and New Year bank holidays 2026/27: day by day
Every day from Christmas Eve to 4 January, and whether it is a bank holiday in each part of the UK.
| Date | England & Wales | Scotland | N. Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal day | Normal day | Normal day | |
| Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | |
| Weekend | Weekend | Weekend | |
| Weekend | Weekend | Weekend | |
| Boxing Day (substitute) | Boxing Day (substitute) | Boxing Day (substitute) | |
| Normal day | Normal day | Normal day | |
| Normal day | Normal day | Normal day | |
| Normal day | Normal day | Normal day | |
| New Year's Day | New Year's Day | New Year's Day | |
| Weekend | Weekend | Weekend | |
| Weekend | Weekend | Weekend | |
| Normal day | 2nd January (substitute) | Normal day |
What's open on New Year's Day: shops, supermarkets, trains and buses
- Supermarkets: most large stores open for shorter hours, typically late morning to early evening. Some chains stay shut, and many shops in Scotland do not open at all.
- Shops: retail parks and shopping centres mostly open with Sunday-style hours. Small convenience stores trade as normal.
- Trains: a reduced service on most routes, starting later in the morning. Some lines do not run.
- Buses: Sunday or holiday timetables in most towns, with no service at all in some areas.
- Banks and post: bank branches and Post Offices are closed and Royal Mail does not normally deliver.
- Health: GP surgeries are closed and pharmacies open on a rota. NHS 111 covers urgent needs.
When did New Year's Day become a bank holiday?
Later than most people expect. New Year's Day has long been a holiday in Scotland, but England, Wales and Northern Ireland only gained it on 1 January 1974. Before then it was an ordinary working day south of the border.
Outside Scotland it is still appointed each year by royal proclamation rather than being listed in the 1971 Act, though in practice it is as fixed as any other date.
Is New Year's Eve a bank holiday?
No. 31 December is a normal working day in all four nations, although many workplaces finish early. The one exception was 31 December 1999, when a one-off bank holiday was declared for the millennium.
New Year's Day: questions
Is New Year's Day a bank holiday?
Yes. New Year's Day is a bank holiday throughout the UK. The next one is observed on Friday 1 January 2027.
What day is New Year's Day 2027?
The New Year's Day bank holiday in 2027 is Friday 1 January 2027.
Is New Year's Eve a bank holiday?
No. New Year's Eve, 31 December, is not a bank holiday anywhere in the UK.
Are shops open on New Year's Day?
Many are, with shorter hours. Most big supermarkets open from late morning, though some chains and many shops in Scotland stay closed. Check your local branch before travelling.
Do trains run on New Year's Day?
Yes, but on a reduced timetable that usually starts later in the morning, and some routes have no service. Check with National Rail Enquiries or your operator.
Are buses running on New Year's Day?
Most areas run a Sunday or special holiday timetable, and some have no buses at all on 1 January. Check your local operator.
When did New Year's Day become a bank holiday?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, on 1 January 1974. It was already a bank holiday in Scotland.
What happens if New Year's Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday?
The bank holiday moves to the following Monday. In Scotland the 2 January holiday then moves to the Tuesday.
Is 2 January a bank holiday?
Only in Scotland. England, Wales and Northern Ireland return to work on 2 January unless it is a weekend or the substitute day for New Year's Day.
Is New Year's Day double pay?
Not by law. Extra pay for working a bank holiday is a matter for your contract; there is no statutory right to it.