UK Bank Holidays 2026
Every bank holiday across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — with a live countdown to the next one, multi-year planning and our Leave Optimiser.
Next bank holiday — England & Wales
Spring bank holiday
Monday, 25 May 2026
8
days
--
hours
--
mins
--
secs
Bank holidays in 2026
See full 2026 guide →Showing England & Wales. Switch: Scotland · Northern Ireland
New Year’s Day
Thursday, 1 January 2026
Good Friday
Friday, 3 April 2026
Easter Monday
Monday, 6 April 2026
Early May bank holiday
Monday, 4 May 2026
Spring bank holiday 8 days away
Monday, 25 May 2026
Summer bank holiday 106 days away
Monday, 31 August 2026
Christmas Day 222 days away
Friday, 25 December 2026
Boxing Day 225 days away
Monday, 28 December 2026
Substitute day
Stretch your annual leave around bank holidays
With the right placement, a 25-day allowance can become five separate breaks of 9 consecutive days off. Our Leave Optimiser calculates the best pattern for your year, region and leave allowance.
Open the Leave Optimiser →Plan ahead
Regional differences
Frequently asked questions
How many bank holidays are there in the UK? +
It depends where you live. England and Wales typically have 8 bank holidays a year, Scotland has 9, and Northern Ireland has 10. The exact list for the current and upcoming years is published by gov.uk and shown above.
When is the next UK bank holiday? +
The next bank holiday in England and Wales is Spring bank holiday on Monday, 25 May 2026.
Are bank holidays the same across the UK? +
No. Scotland observes 2nd January and St Andrew’s Day in place of Easter Monday in some traditions, and Northern Ireland observes St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne. We list each region separately.
What happens when a bank holiday falls at a weekend? +
A substitute day is usually granted the following Monday (or Tuesday for Boxing Day landing on a Sunday). These substitute days are marked clearly throughout the site.
Where does this data come from? +
Directly from the official gov.uk bank holidays dataset. The site rebuilds regularly so the dates are always current.