Bank holidays 2026 in England and Wales

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists 8 bank holidays in England and Wales for 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)).

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

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) marks these 2026 entries for England and Wales as substitute days: Boxing Day (substitute day) on Monday 28 December 2026. 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.”

No. In GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) for 2026, every date listed for England and Wales is also a bank holiday date in at least one of the other two lists, although the titles can differ.

GOV.UK’s bank holidays page says: “Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays.” It covers England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland together and does not give a different rule for England and Wales.

The dates are copied from GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 7 November 2026, for the England and Wales division. GOV.UK is the official source and may add or change dates after that day.