United Kingdom holidays 2026–2027
The United Kingdom usually has eight bank holidays in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland. Scotland has an extra one-off day in 2026 for the World Cup. When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is given. Dates follow the annual list published by the UK Government.
Upcoming bank holidays
Observed Mon, Dec 28 63 days away New Year's Day Friday, January 1, 2027 66 days away 2nd January Saturday, January 2, 2027
Observed Mon, Jan 4 138 days away St Patrick's Day Wednesday, March 17, 2027
Bank holidays in 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day | Observed | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan 1 | Thursday | — | Nationwide |
| 2nd January | Jan 2 | Friday | — | SCT |
| St Patrick's Day | Mar 17 | Tuesday | — | NIR |
| Good Friday | Apr 3 | Friday | — | Nationwide |
| Easter Monday | Apr 6 | Monday | — | ENG, NIR, WLS |
| Early May Bank Holiday | May 4 | Monday | — | Nationwide |
| Spring Bank Holiday | May 25 | Monday | — | Nationwide |
| World Cup Bank Holiday | Jun 15 | Monday | — | SCT |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | Jul 12 | Sunday | Mon, Jul 13 | NIR |
| Summer Bank Holiday | Aug 3 | Monday | — | SCT |
| Summer Bank Holiday | Aug 31 | Monday | — | ENG, NIR, WLS |
| St Andrew's Day | Nov 30 | Monday | — | SCT |
| Christmas Day | Dec 25 | Friday | — | Nationwide |
| Boxing Day | Dec 26 | Saturday | Mon, Dec 28 | Nationwide |
Holidays by nation
Each nation page lists the bank holidays it observes, its own nation holidays, optional days, and long weekends for any year from 2026 to 2027.
All UK holidays & observances
Bank holidays (14)
- 2nd January
- Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)
- Boxing Day
- Christmas Day
- Early May Bank Holiday
- Easter Monday
- Good Friday
- New Year's Day
- Spring Bank Holiday
- St Andrew's Day
- St Patrick's Day
- Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland)
- Summer Bank Holiday
- World Cup Bank Holiday
Observances (10)
Where the dates come from
Each holiday is stored as the rule that creates it: a fixed date, a numbered weekday of a month, or an offset from Easter, together with the rule for a holiday that lands on a weekend. The dates are worked out from those rules and then checked against the government's own published calendar. Where a date depends on a yearly proclamation or a government announcement rather than a formula, we use the announcement, and the note on that row says when a date is still expected rather than confirmed.
How UK holiday dates are set
Bank holidays are set by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 and by royal proclamation each year. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own additional days! There is no statutory right to time off on a bank holiday; it depends on the employment contract.