The next bank holiday
| Nation | Next bank holiday | Date |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Christmas Day | Friday 25 December 2026 (in 72 days) |
| Scotland | St Andrew's Day | Monday 30 November 2026 (in 47 days) |
| Northern Ireland | Christmas Day | Friday 25 December 2026 (in 72 days) |
England and Wales share the same bank holidays. Scotland and Northern Ireland have days of their own, so the next bank holiday is not always the same day across the UK.
Bank holidays in 2026
| Bank holiday | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January | All of the UK |
| 2nd January | Friday 2 January | Scotland |
| St Patrick's Day | Tuesday 17 March | Northern Ireland |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April | All of the UK |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 4 May | All of the UK |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 25 May | All of the UK |
| World Cup bank holiday | Monday 15 June | Scotland |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) (substitute day) | Monday 13 July | Northern Ireland |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 3 August | Scotland |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 31 August | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| St Andrew's Day | Monday 30 November | Scotland |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | All of the UK |
| Boxing Day (substitute day) | Monday 28 December | All of the UK |
England and Wales have no bank holiday in February, March, June, July, September, October and November 2026. See the 2026 calendar for working days and week numbers.
Bank holidays in 2027
| Bank holiday | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Friday 1 January | All of the UK |
| 2nd January (substitute day) | Monday 4 January | Scotland |
| St Patrick's Day | Wednesday 17 March | Northern Ireland |
| Good Friday | Friday 26 March | All of the UK |
| Easter Monday | Monday 29 March | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 3 May | All of the UK |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 31 May | All of the UK |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | Monday 12 July | Northern Ireland |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 2 August | Scotland |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 30 August | England and Wales, Northern Ireland |
| St Andrew's Day | Tuesday 30 November | Scotland |
| Christmas Day (substitute day) | Monday 27 December | All of the UK |
| Boxing Day (substitute day) | Tuesday 28 December | All of the UK |
England and Wales have no bank holiday in February, April, June, July, September, October and November 2027. See the 2027 calendar for working days and week numbers.
How the nations differ
England and Wales have eight bank holidays in a usual year: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the early May bank holiday (first Monday in May), the spring bank holiday (last Monday in May), the summer bank holiday (last Monday in August), Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Scotland has nine: New Year's Day and 2 January, Good Friday, the early May and spring bank holidays, the summer bank holiday on the first Monday in August, St Andrew's Day (30 November), Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland. Many towns also have local holidays of their own.
Northern Ireland has ten: the eight of England and Wales, plus St Patrick's Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (12 July).
Substitute days
When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next weekday becomes a substitute day, usually the Monday. When Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend, both move: Christmas on a Saturday gives substitute days on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December.
Do I get the day off?
There is no legal right to time off, or extra pay, on a bank holiday. Whether you get the day off depends on your contract. Bank holidays can count towards the 5.6 weeks of paid holiday that most workers are entitled to.
One-off bank holidays
Extra bank holidays are made by royal proclamation for national occasions. Sometimes a regular bank holiday is moved instead, as the early May bank holiday was for the VE Day anniversaries in 1995 and 2020.
| Date | Occasion |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 2 June 1953 | Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Tuesday 7 June 1977 | Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Wednesday 29 July 1981 | Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer |
| Friday 31 December 1999 | Millennium celebrations |
| Monday 3 June 2002 | Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Friday 29 April 2011 | Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton |
| Tuesday 5 June 2012 | Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Friday 3 June 2022 | Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Monday 19 September 2022 | State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Monday 8 May 2023 | Coronation of King Charles III |
| Monday 15 June 2026 | World Cup bank holiday (Scotland) |
Source: GOV.UK, UK bank holidays. The rules before 1971 and the moved days follow the Bank Holidays Act 1871, the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 and the royal proclamations.