Bank holiday dates UK
UK Bank Holidays 2026
Every UK bank holiday in the 2026 calendar year, set out nation by nation. England and Wales have 8 dates, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10.
Reviewed for the 2026 holiday year
Interactive UK bank holidays calendar
Browse month by month, switch years, and filter by nation. Bank holiday coverage differs by nation — a highlighted date may be a holiday in only some parts of the UK.
January 20262 bank holidays
Highlighted dates are bank holidays for the selected nation filter.
Next bank holiday
St Andrew's Day
Monday 30 November 2026 · Scotland
Saved holidays are stored only in this browser on this device.
Share this view
Copy a link that opens this page already set to All nations and 2026.
https://ukbankholidays.blog/uk-bank-holidays-2026?year=2026&nation=allDownload or add these dates to your calendar
Exports use your current selection: All UK nations · 2026 — 13 bank holidays, including names, dates, applicable nations and substitute-day notes.
Add to Google Calendar (13 dates)
Google Calendar has no one-click way to add several events at once from a link, so each date below opens its own pre-filled Google Calendar entry that you confirm and save. To add every date in one go instead, download the .ics file above and use Google Calendar → Settings → Import & export → Import.
- New Year's Day1 January 2026 · All four UK nations
- 2nd January2 January 2026 · Scotland
- St Patrick's Day17 March 2026 · Northern Ireland
- Good Friday3 April 2026 · All four UK nations
- Easter Monday6 April 2026 · England, Wales, Northern Ireland
- Early May bank holiday4 May 2026 · All four UK nations
- Spring bank holiday25 May 2026 · All four UK nations
- Battle of the Boyne (substitute day)13 July 2026 · Northern Ireland
- Summer bank holiday3 August 2026 · Scotland
- Summer bank holiday31 August 2026 · England, Wales, Northern Ireland
- St Andrew's Day30 November 2026 · Scotland
- Christmas Day25 December 2026 · All four UK nations
- Boxing Day (substitute day)28 December 2026 · All four UK nations
Your saved holidays
Save any bank holiday with the star buttons on the calendar and holiday tables, then filter and export just the dates you care about.
You have not saved any bank holidays yet. Use the Save star on a calendar date or in a holiday table and it will appear here.
Exports include the holiday name, ISO date, display date, weekday, applicable nations and any substitute-day note. Saved holidays are stored only in this browser on this device — there is no account and nothing is sent to us.
Nation comparison for 2026
6 bank holidays are shared by all four nations in 2026, while 7 dates apply to only some of them. Totals: England 8, Scotland 9, Wales 8, Northern Ireland 10.
| Holiday | Date | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | Coverage | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January 2026 | New Year's Day is a bank holiday in England | New Year's Day is a bank holiday in Scotland | New Year's Day is a bank holiday in Wales | New Year's Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | All four nations | |
| 2nd January | Friday 2 January 2026 | 2nd January is not a bank holiday in England | 2nd January is a bank holiday in Scotland | 2nd January is not a bank holiday in Wales | 2nd January is not a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | Differs by nation | |
| St Patrick's Day | Tuesday 17 March 2026 | St Patrick's Day is not a bank holiday in England | St Patrick's Day is not a bank holiday in Scotland | St Patrick's Day is not a bank holiday in Wales | St Patrick's Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | Differs by nation | |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April 2026 | Good Friday is a bank holiday in England | Good Friday is a bank holiday in Scotland | Good Friday is a bank holiday in Wales | Good Friday is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | All four nations | |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April 2026 | Easter Monday is a bank holiday in England | Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland | Easter Monday is a bank holiday in Wales | Easter Monday is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | Differs by nation | |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 4 May 2026 | Early May bank holiday is a bank holiday in England | Early May bank holiday is a bank holiday in Scotland | Early May bank holiday is a bank holiday in Wales | Early May bank holiday is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | All four nations | |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 25 May 2026 | Spring bank holiday is a bank holiday in England | Spring bank holiday is a bank holiday in Scotland | Spring bank holiday is a bank holiday in Wales | Spring bank holiday is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | All four nations | |
| Battle of the Boyne (substitute day)12 July falls on a Sunday, so the holiday moves to Monday 13 July. | Monday 13 July 2026 | Battle of the Boyne (substitute day) is not a bank holiday in England | Battle of the Boyne (substitute day) is not a bank holiday in Scotland | Battle of the Boyne (substitute day) is not a bank holiday in Wales | Battle of the Boyne (substitute day) is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | Differs by nation | |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 3 August 2026 | Summer bank holiday is not a bank holiday in England | Summer bank holiday is a bank holiday in Scotland | Summer bank holiday is not a bank holiday in Wales | Summer bank holiday is not a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | Differs by nation | |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 31 August 2026 | Summer bank holiday is a bank holiday in England | Summer bank holiday is not a bank holiday in Scotland | Summer bank holiday is a bank holiday in Wales | Summer bank holiday is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | Differs by nation | |
| St Andrew's Day | Monday 30 November 2026 | St Andrew's Day is not a bank holiday in England | St Andrew's Day is a bank holiday in Scotland | St Andrew's Day is not a bank holiday in Wales | St Andrew's Day is not a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | Differs by nation | |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day is a bank holiday in England | Christmas Day is a bank holiday in Scotland | Christmas Day is a bank holiday in Wales | Christmas Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | All four nations | |
| Boxing Day (substitute day)26 December falls on a Saturday, so the holiday moves to Monday 28 December. | Monday 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (substitute day) is a bank holiday in England | Boxing Day (substitute day) is a bank holiday in Scotland | Boxing Day (substitute day) is a bank holiday in Wales | Boxing Day (substitute day) is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland | All four nations |
Rows shaded and marked “Differs by nation” are either nation-specific holidays (such as St Andrew's Day or St Patrick's Day) or dates observed on a different day in one or more nations.
Bank holidays are set separately for England and Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland, so there is no single UK-wide list of UK public holidays. The tables below show the confirmed 2026 dates for each nation, including the substitute day that applies when a holiday falls at the weekend.
England and Wales bank holidays 2026
England bank holidays and Wales bank holidays run on the same calendar: eight dates, from New Year's Day on 1 January 2026 to the Boxing Day substitute on 28 December 2026.
| Holiday | Date (2026) | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday | — |
| Good Friday | 3 April 2026 | Friday | — |
| Easter Monday | 6 April 2026 | Monday | — |
| Early May bank holiday | 4 May 2026 | Monday | — |
| Spring bank holiday | 25 May 2026 | Monday | — |
| Summer bank holiday | 31 August 2026 | Monday | — |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday | — |
| Boxing Day (substitute day) | 28 December 2026 | Monday | 26 December falls on a Saturday, so the holiday moves to Monday 28 December. |
Scotland bank holidays 2026
Scotland adds 2nd January and St Andrew's Day, takes its summer bank holiday in early August, and does not observe Easter Monday.
| Holiday | Date (2026) | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday | — |
| 2nd January | 2 January 2026 | Friday | — |
| Good Friday | 3 April 2026 | Friday | — |
| Early May bank holiday | 4 May 2026 | Monday | — |
| Spring bank holiday | 25 May 2026 | Monday | — |
| Summer bank holiday | 3 August 2026 | Monday | Scotland's summer bank holiday falls in early August, not late August. |
| St Andrew's Day | 30 November 2026 | Monday | — |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday | — |
| Boxing Day (substitute day) | 28 December 2026 | Monday | 26 December falls on a Saturday, so the holiday moves to Monday 28 December. |
Northern Ireland bank holidays 2026
Northern Ireland has the longest list, with St Patrick's Day in March and the Battle of the Boyne in July on top of the England and Wales calendar.
| Holiday | Date (2026) | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday | — |
| St Patrick's Day | 17 March 2026 | Tuesday | — |
| Good Friday | 3 April 2026 | Friday | — |
| Easter Monday | 6 April 2026 | Monday | — |
| Early May bank holiday | 4 May 2026 | Monday | — |
| Spring bank holiday | 25 May 2026 | Monday | — |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day, substitute day) | 13 July 2026 | Monday | 12 July falls on a Sunday, so the holiday moves to Monday 13 July. |
| Summer bank holiday | 31 August 2026 | Monday | — |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday | — |
| Boxing Day (substitute day) | 28 December 2026 | Monday | 26 December falls on a Saturday, so the holiday moves to Monday 28 December. |
Long weekends and substitute days in 2026
- Easter: Good Friday 3 April and Easter Monday 6 April create a four-day weekend in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- May: two Monday holidays, 4 May and 25 May, give two three-day weekends across the UK.
- Christmas: Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December and Boxing Day on a Saturday, so Monday 28 December is the substitute bank holiday.
Always confirm before you plan
UK bank holidays 2026: quick answers
How many UK bank holidays are there in 2026?
In 2026 there are 8 bank holidays in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. There is no single UK-wide total because bank holidays are set separately for each nation.
What is the first UK bank holiday of 2026?
New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January 2026 is the first bank holiday across the whole UK. Scotland also has 2nd January on Friday 2 January 2026.
Are bank holidays and UK public holidays the same thing?
In everyday use, yes. 'Bank holiday' is the legal term used in the UK, while 'public holiday' is the more general description. Both refer to the same set of dates.
What happens when a bank holiday falls on a weekend?
A substitute weekday is normally given, usually the following Monday. In 2026 Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December, so the substitute bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
Are banks open on bank holidays in the UK?
High street branches are usually closed on bank holidays. Online banking, mobile apps, cash machines and card payments normally continue as usual, and some in-store or airport branches may open with reduced hours.
Do bank holidays differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes. England and Wales share the same calendar. Scotland adds 2nd January and St Andrew's Day and takes its summer bank holiday in early August. Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne.
Does Wales have its own bank holidays?
Wales follows the England and Wales bank holiday calendar. St David's Day on 1 March is widely celebrated but is not currently a statutory bank holiday in Wales.
Is St Patrick's Day a bank holiday in 2026?
St Patrick's Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland only. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday 17 March. It is a normal working day in England, Scotland and Wales.