Bank holidays 2026 in Northern Ireland

GOV.UK lists 10 bank holidays in Northern Ireland for 2026, counting substitute days. The last ones of the year are:

  • 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 data as retrieved on 7 November 2026. GOV.UK's data also lists the following years; see bank holidays 2027 in Northern Ireland and bank holidays 2028 in Northern Ireland.

Still to come in 2026

Worked out in your browser from the date in Europe/London.

Northern Ireland

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

Bank holidays 2026 in Northern Ireland

2026 bank holidays in Northern Ireland, from GOV.UK
DateDayBank holidayGOV.UK note
1 January 2026ThursdayNew Year’s Day
17 March 2026TuesdaySt Patrick’s Day
3 April 2026FridayGood Friday
6 April 2026MondayEaster Monday
4 May 2026MondayEarly May bank holiday
25 May 2026MondaySpring bank holiday
13 July 2026MondayBattle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day)Substitute day
31 August 2026MondaySummer bank holiday
25 December 2026FridayChristmas Day
28 December 2026MondayBoxing DaySubstitute day

All 2026 dates in the three lists are on the UK bank holidays 2026 page.

Substitute days

“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

GOV.UK marks these 2026 entries for Northern Ireland as substitute days: Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) on Monday 13 July 2026; Boxing Day on Monday 28 December 2026.

For 26 December in particular, see is Boxing Day a bank holiday?

How Northern Ireland differs from the other two lists

In GOV.UK's 2026 data, 17 March 2026 (St Patrick’s Day); 13 July 2026 (Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day)) appear for Northern Ireland on dates where neither of the other two lists has a bank holiday.

Other regions: England and Wales and Scotland.

Pay and checking a date

“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

GOV.UK's page and data give dates and substitute days only; they do not give branch opening hours. To check a date, or to see the next bank holiday, use the bank holiday checker.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 2026 bank holidays in Northern Ireland?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists 10 bank holidays in Northern Ireland for 2026: 1 January 2026 (New Year’s Day), 17 March 2026 (St Patrick’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), 13 July 2026 (Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day)), 31 August 2026 (Summer bank holiday), 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day) and 28 December 2026 (Boxing Day (substitute day)).

What are the last bank holidays of 2026 in Northern Ireland?

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

Which 2026 bank holidays in Northern Ireland are substitute days?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) marks these 2026 entries for Northern Ireland as substitute days: Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day) on Monday 13 July 2026 and 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.”

Does Northern Ireland have 2026 bank holidays that the other two GOV.UK lists do not?

Yes. In GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) for 2026, 17 March 2026 (St Patrick’s Day) and 13 July 2026 (Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day)) appear for Northern Ireland on dates where neither of the other two lists has a bank holiday.

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

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 Northern Ireland.

Where does the Northern Ireland list come from?

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

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.