Bank holidays 2026 in the UK: England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

GOV.UK lists 8 bank holidays in 2026 for England and Wales, 10 for Scotland and 10 for Northern Ireland, counting substitute days. The last ones of the year in GOV.UK's lists are:

  • England and Wales: Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026; Boxing Day (substitute day) on Monday 28 December 2026.
  • Scotland: St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30 November 2026; Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026; Boxing Day (substitute day) on Monday 28 December 2026.
  • Northern Ireland: Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026; Boxing Day (substitute day) on Monday 28 December 2026.

The dates are copied from GOV.UK's bank holidays data as retrieved on 7 November 2026. For the years after, see UK bank holidays 2027 and UK bank holidays 2028; to see whether a particular day is a bank holiday, or when the next one is, use the bank holiday checker. Questions about 26 December are answered on Is Boxing Day a bank holiday?.

Still to come in 2026

This list is worked out in your browser from the date in Europe/London, so it stays correct as the dates go by. It uses GOV.UK's 2026 lists, region by region.

England and Wales

Working out which 2026 bank holidays are still to come in Europe/London…

Scotland

Working out which 2026 bank holidays are still to come in Europe/London…

Northern Ireland

Working out which 2026 bank holidays are still to come in Europe/London…

All 2026 bank holidays at a glance

A dash means GOV.UK lists no bank holiday on that date for that region.

2026 bank holidays by region, from GOV.UK
DateDayEngland and WalesScotlandNorthern Ireland
1 January 2026ThursdayNew Year’s DayNew Year’s DayNew Year’s Day
2 January 2026Friday—2nd January—
17 March 2026Tuesday——St Patrick’s Day
3 April 2026FridayGood FridayGood FridayGood Friday
6 April 2026MondayEaster Monday—Easter Monday
4 May 2026MondayEarly May bank holidayEarly May bank holidayEarly May bank holiday
25 May 2026MondaySpring bank holidaySpring bank holidaySpring bank holiday
15 June 2026Monday—World Cup bank holiday—
13 July 2026Monday——Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day)
3 August 2026Monday—Summer bank holiday—
31 August 2026MondaySummer bank holiday—Summer bank holiday
30 November 2026Monday—St Andrew’s Day—
25 December 2026FridayChristmas DayChristmas DayChristmas Day
28 December 2026MondayBoxing Day (substitute day)Boxing Day (substitute day)Boxing Day (substitute day)

Each region has its own page: England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2026

GOV.UK explains substitute days like this:

“If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.”

GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (gov.uk/bank-holidays), retrieved 7 November 2026

25 December 2026 is a Friday and 26 December 2026 is a Saturday. That is calendar arithmetic, not a GOV.UK statement. The entries GOV.UK marks as "Substitute day" in its 2026 data are:

  • England and Wales: Boxing Day on Monday 28 December 2026
  • Scotland: Boxing Day on Monday 28 December 2026
  • Northern Ireland: Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) on Monday 13 July 2026; Boxing Day on Monday 28 December 2026

More on 26 December, with the 2027 dates: is Boxing Day a bank holiday?

Where the three 2026 lists differ

GOV.UK's 2026 list for Scotland has no Easter Monday; England and Wales and Northern Ireland list it. Scotland's list has a World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026, so GOV.UK's lists can contain dates added for particular events; GOV.UK is the place to check for any later addition. Dates that appear for one region only, where neither of the other two lists has a bank holiday that day:

  • England and Wales: none
  • Scotland: Friday 2 January 2026 (2nd January); Monday 15 June 2026 (World Cup bank holiday); Monday 3 August 2026 (Summer bank holiday); Monday 30 November 2026 (St Andrew’s Day)
  • Northern Ireland: Tuesday 17 March 2026 (St Patrick’s Day); Monday 13 July 2026 (Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day))

The Summer bank holiday is on Monday 31 August 2026 for England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and on Monday 3 August 2026 for Scotland.

Pay and benefits

GOV.UK says:

“Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays.”

GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (gov.uk/bank-holidays), retrieved 7 November 2026

“Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid.”

GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (gov.uk/bank-holidays), retrieved 7 November 2026

GOV.UK's page and data give dates and substitute days only; they do not give branch opening hours. For United States bank holidays, which follow a different list, see U.S. bank holidays 2027.

Frequently asked questions

How many bank holidays are there in the UK in 2026?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 7 November 2026, lists 8 bank holidays in 2026 for England and Wales, 10 for Scotland and 10 for Northern Ireland, counting the substitute days that GOV.UK marks.

What are the last bank holidays of 2026?

In GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 7 November 2026, the last entries of 2026 are: England and Wales: Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026; Boxing Day (substitute day) on Monday 28 December 2026, Scotland: St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30 November 2026; Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026; Boxing Day (substitute day) on Monday 28 December 2026 and Northern Ireland: Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026; Boxing Day (substitute day) on Monday 28 December 2026.

When are the Christmas bank holidays in 2026?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 and Boxing Day as a substitute day on Monday 28 December 2026 for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, which is calendar arithmetic, not a GOV.UK statement. GOV.UK’s bank holidays page says: “If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.”

What are the 2026 bank holidays in England and Wales?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists these for England and Wales in 2026: 1 January 2026 (New Year’s Day), 3 April 2026 (Good Friday), 6 April 2026 (Easter Monday), 4 May 2026 (Early May bank holiday), 25 May 2026 (Spring bank holiday), 31 August 2026 (Summer bank holiday), 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day) and 28 December 2026 (Boxing Day (substitute day)). Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own lists in the same data.

Does Scotland have the same bank holidays as England and Wales in 2026?

No. GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) has no Easter Monday for Scotland in 2026. It includes 2nd January on Friday 2 January 2026, a World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026, the Summer bank holiday on Monday 3 August 2026 and St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30 November 2026. England and Wales list the Summer bank holiday on Monday 31 August 2026.

Does an employer have to give paid leave on a bank holiday?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays page says: “Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays.” It also says: “Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid.”

Could the 2026 bank holidays change?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 7 November 2026, includes a World Cup bank holiday for Scotland on Monday 15 June 2026, so GOV.UK’s lists can contain dates added for particular events. GOV.UK is the official source for the dates, and a later GOV.UK update would override this site’s copy.

More UK pages

Sources

Reviewed 7 November 2026 against the GOV.UK page and data in the sources list. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with GOV.UK or the UK Government; GOV.UK is the official source, and any later change it publishes overrides this site.