Bank holiday guide
Late Spring Bank Holiday
The late Spring bank holiday, also called the late May or Whitsun bank holiday, is the last Monday in May in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Next Spring bank holiday
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Then Monday 29 May 2028.
The short answer
Yes. The Spring bank holiday is a bank holiday in every part of the UK.
When is the late Spring bank holiday?
It is the last Monday in May, which puts it between 25 and 31 May. As a Monday holiday it never needs a substitute day.
In jubilee years it has been moved into early June to sit beside the extra jubilee holiday.
Spring 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 | |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 | |
| 2031 | |
| 2032 | |
| 2033 | |
| 2034 | |
| 2035 | |
| 2036 |
Show every Spring bank holiday date from 1971 to 2050
| Year | England & Wales, N. Ireland | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1972 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1973 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1974 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1975 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1976 | Not a bank holiday | |
| 1977 | Moved | Not a bank holiday |
| 1978 | ||
| 1979 | ||
| 1980 | ||
| 1981 | ||
| 1982 | ||
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | ||
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | ||
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | ||
| 2002 | Moved | Moved |
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | ||
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | ||
| 2012 | Moved | Moved |
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | ||
| 2016 | ||
| 2017 | ||
| 2018 | ||
| 2019 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 2021 | ||
| 2022 | Moved | Moved |
| 2023 | ||
| 2024 | ||
| 2025 | ||
| 2026 | ||
| 2027 | ||
| 2028 | ||
| 2029 | ||
| 2030 | ||
| 2031 | ||
| 2032 | ||
| 2033 | ||
| 2034 | ||
| 2035 | ||
| 2036 | ||
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| 2040 | ||
| 2041 | ||
| 2042 | ||
| 2043 | ||
| 2044 | ||
| 2045 | ||
| 2046 | ||
| 2047 | ||
| 2048 | ||
| 2049 | ||
| 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.
Late Spring Bank Holiday weekend dates 2027
Spring bank holiday
Sat 29 May – Monday 31 May 2027
Three days off with the weekend. The bank holiday is the Monday.
When the Spring bank holiday has moved
In royal jubilee years the holiday was shifted from late May into early June to create a long weekend. The 1977 move applied in England, Wales and Northern Ireland only, because Scotland had no Spring bank holiday until 1978.
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Spring bank holidayMovedMoved to June for the Silver Jubilee | England & WalesN. Ireland | |
| Tuesday | Spring bank holidayMovedMoved to June for the Golden Jubilee | All of the UK | |
| Monday | Spring bank holidayMovedMoved to June for the Diamond Jubilee | All of the UK | |
| Thursday | Spring bank holidayMovedMoved to June for the Platinum Jubilee | All of the UK |
Whitsun bank holiday: from Whit Monday to the last Monday in May
The 1871 Act made Whit Monday, the day after Pentecost, a bank holiday. Because Pentecost depends on Easter, the date wandered between mid-May and mid-June.
After a trial in the 1960s, the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 replaced it in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a fixed last Monday in May. Scotland has observed the same date since 1978. Many people still call the weekend Whitsun.
Spring half-term and the bank holiday
Schools in England and Wales usually take their summer half-term in the same week, making this one of the busiest weekends of the year for travel and UK breaks. Term dates are set by councils and schools, so check locally.
It is also the date of some famously odd events, among them the cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire.
What's open on the Spring bank holiday
- Shops and supermarkets: open, many with shorter bank holiday hours.
- Banks and post: bank branches are closed and Royal Mail does not normally deliver.
- Trains and buses: often a Sunday or reduced timetable, with engineering works on some routes.
- Attractions: open and busy; book ahead where you can.
Spring bank holiday: questions
When is the late Spring bank holiday?
The late Spring bank holiday is the last Monday in May. In 2027 that is Monday 31 May 2027.
When is the Spring bank holiday in 2028?
In 2028 it is Monday 29 May 2028.
When is the late May bank holiday?
The late May bank holiday is another name for the Spring bank holiday: Monday 31 May 2027.
When is the Whitsun bank holiday?
The Whitsun bank holiday is now the Spring bank holiday on the last Monday in May, which is Monday 31 May 2027. Whit Sunday itself still moves with Easter.
What was the late Spring bank holiday formerly called?
Whit Monday. It was replaced by a fixed last Monday in May in 1971.
What is the Spring bank holiday for?
It carries on the old Whitsun holiday, which marked the Monday after Pentecost. Today it is simply a fixed day off at the end of May.
Is the Spring bank holiday in half-term?
Usually. Most schools in England and Wales have their summer half-term in the week of the Spring bank holiday, but dates are set locally.
Is the late May bank holiday always the last Monday?
Yes, except in jubilee years, when it has been moved to early June.
Is the Spring bank holiday a bank holiday in Scotland?
Yes. It has been observed in Scotland since 1978.
Do I get the Spring 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.