Bank holidays 2028 in the UK: England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
GOV.UK lists 8 bank holidays in 2028 for England and Wales, 9 for Scotland and 10 for Northern Ireland, counting substitute days.
The table copies GOV.UK's bank holidays data as retrieved on 5 November 2026. For the year before, see UK bank holidays 2027; to see whether a particular day is a bank holiday, use the bank holiday checker, which covers 2026 to 2028.
All 2028 bank holidays at a glance
A dash means GOV.UK lists no bank holiday on that date for that region.
| Date | Day | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 January 2028 | Monday | New Year’s Day (substitute day) | New Year’s Day (substitute day) | New Year’s Day (substitute day) |
| 4 January 2028 | Tuesday | — | 2nd January (substitute day) | — |
| 17 March 2028 | Friday | — | — | St Patrick’s Day |
| 14 April 2028 | Friday | Good Friday | Good Friday | Good Friday |
| 17 April 2028 | Monday | Easter Monday | — | Easter Monday |
| 1 May 2028 | Monday | Early May bank holiday | Early May bank holiday | Early May bank holiday |
| 29 May 2028 | Monday | Spring bank holiday | Spring bank holiday | Spring bank holiday |
| 12 July 2028 | Wednesday | — | — | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) |
| 7 August 2028 | Monday | — | Summer bank holiday | — |
| 28 August 2028 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | — | Summer bank holiday |
| 30 November 2028 | Thursday | — | St Andrew’s Day | — |
| 25 December 2028 | Monday | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Christmas Day |
| 26 December 2028 | Tuesday | Boxing Day | Boxing Day | Boxing Day |
Each region has its own page: England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Substitute days in 2028
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.”
1 January 2028 is a Saturday and 2 January 2028 is a Sunday. That is calendar arithmetic, not a GOV.UK statement. The entries GOV.UK marks as "Substitute day" in its 2028 data are:
- England and Wales: New Year’s Day on Monday 3 January 2028
- Scotland: New Year’s Day on Monday 3 January 2028; 2nd January on Tuesday 4 January 2028
- Northern Ireland: New Year’s Day on Monday 3 January 2028
For Scotland, GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists New Year’s Day as a substitute day on Monday 3 January 2028 and 2nd January as a substitute day on Tuesday 4 January 2028, not the Monday; the Monday is already the New Year’s Day substitute (our reading of GOV.UK’s dates, not a GOV.UK statement).
Where the three 2028 lists differ
GOV.UK's 2028 list for Scotland has no Easter Monday; England and Wales and Northern Ireland list it. 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: Tuesday 4 January 2028 (2nd January (substitute day)); Monday 7 August 2028 (Summer bank holiday); Thursday 30 November 2028 (St Andrew’s Day)
- Northern Ireland: Friday 17 March 2028 (St Patrick’s Day); Wednesday 12 July 2028 (Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day))
The Summer bank holiday is on Monday 28 August 2028 for England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and on Monday 7 August 2028 for Scotland.
2027 and 2028 side by side: England and Wales
Dates GOV.UK lists for the same bank holiday in both years. The 2027 page has the full 2027 list.
| Bank holiday | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Friday 1 January 2027 | Monday 3 January 2028 (substitute day) |
| Good Friday | Friday 26 March 2027 | Friday 14 April 2028 |
| Easter Monday | Monday 29 March 2027 | Monday 17 April 2028 |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 3 May 2027 | Monday 1 May 2028 |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 31 May 2027 | Monday 29 May 2028 |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 30 August 2027 | Monday 28 August 2028 |
| Christmas Day | Monday 27 December 2027 (substitute day) | Monday 25 December 2028 |
| Boxing Day | Tuesday 28 December 2027 (substitute day) | Tuesday 26 December 2028 |
Changes to GOV.UK’s lists
GOV.UK's data, retrieved on 5 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 place to check for any later addition to the 2028 list.
Pay and benefits
GOV.UK says:
“Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays.”
“Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid.”
GOV.UK's page and data give dates and substitute days only; they do not give branch opening hours. For US bank holidays, which follow a different list, see US bank holidays 2027.
Frequently asked questions
How many bank holidays are there in the UK in 2028?
GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 5 November 2026, lists 8 bank holidays in 2028 for England and Wales, 9 for Scotland and 10 for Northern Ireland, counting the substitute days that GOV.UK marks.
What are the 2028 bank holidays in England and Wales?
GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists these for England and Wales in 2028: 3 January 2028 (New Year’s Day (substitute day)), 14 April 2028 (Good Friday), 17 April 2028 (Easter Monday), 1 May 2028 (Early May bank holiday), 29 May 2028 (Spring bank holiday), 28 August 2028 (Summer bank holiday), 25 December 2028 (Christmas Day) and 26 December 2028 (Boxing Day). Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own lists in the same data.
Why is New Year’s Day on Monday 3 January in 2028?
1 January 2028 is a Saturday and 2 January 2028 is a Sunday. 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.” GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists New Year’s Day as a substitute day on Monday 3 January 2028 for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For Scotland, GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists New Year’s Day as a substitute day on Monday 3 January 2028 and 2nd January as a substitute day on Tuesday 4 January 2028, not the Monday; the Monday is already the New Year’s Day substitute (our reading of GOV.UK’s dates, not a GOV.UK statement).
Does Scotland have the same bank holidays as England and Wales in 2028?
No. GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) has no Easter Monday for Scotland in 2028. It includes 2nd January (a substitute day on Tuesday 4 January 2028), the Summer bank holiday on Monday 7 August 2028 and St Andrew’s Day on Thursday 30 November 2028. England and Wales list Easter Monday on Monday 17 April 2028 and the Summer bank holiday on Monday 28 August 2028.
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.”
How do the 2028 dates compare with 2027 in England and Wales?
GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists 8 bank holidays for England and Wales in 2027 and 8 in 2028. New Year’s Day moves from Friday 1 January 2027 to Monday 3 January 2028 (substitute day), Good Friday moves from Friday 26 March 2027 to Friday 14 April 2028, Easter Monday moves from Monday 29 March 2027 to Monday 17 April 2028, Early May bank holiday moves from Monday 3 May 2027 to Monday 1 May 2028, Spring bank holiday moves from Monday 31 May 2027 to Monday 29 May 2028, Summer bank holiday moves from Monday 30 August 2027 to Monday 28 August 2028, Christmas Day moves from Monday 27 December 2027 (substitute day) to Monday 25 December 2028 and Boxing Day moves from Tuesday 28 December 2027 (substitute day) to Tuesday 26 December 2028.
Could the 2028 bank holidays change?
GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 5 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.
Do GOV.UK’s bank holiday dates give branch opening hours?
No. GOV.UK’s bank holidays page and GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 5 November 2026, list dates and substitute days. They do not state branch opening hours, so a particular bank’s own website or branch is the place to check.
More UK pages
Sources
- GOV.UK: UK bank holidays, retrieved 5 November 2026
- GOV.UK: bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved 5 November 2026
Reviewed 5 November 2026 against the pages listed in Sources. FedRateCalc is not affiliated with GOV.UK, HMRC, the DWP, legislation.gov.uk or the UK Government; GOV.UK, HMRC, the DWP and legislation.gov.uk are the official sources, and any later change they publish overrides this site.