Is New Year’s Day a bank holiday in the UK?

Yes. GOV.UK lists New Year’s Day as a bank holiday in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Scotland also lists 2nd January. For 2027, New Year’s Day is on Friday 1 January 2027 in all three, and Scotland's 2nd January is a substitute day on Monday 4 January 2027.

When a bank holiday is on a weekend, GOV.UK lists a substitute day. The dates are copied from GOV.UK's bank holidays data as retrieved on 7 November 2026; the weekdays in the table are calendar arithmetic, not a GOV.UK statement.

New Year’s Day and 2nd January, 2026 to 2028

New Year’s Day and 2nd January in 2026, 2027 and 2028 by nation, from GOV.UK
NationDateDayGOV.UK entry
England and Wales1 January 2026ThursdayNew Year’s Day
England and Wales1 January 2027FridayNew Year’s Day
England and Wales3 January 2028MondayNew Year’s Day (substitute day)
Scotland1 January 2026ThursdayNew Year’s Day
Scotland2 January 2026Friday2nd January
Scotland1 January 2027FridayNew Year’s Day
Scotland4 January 2027Monday2nd January (substitute day)
Scotland3 January 2028MondayNew Year’s Day (substitute day)
Scotland4 January 2028Tuesday2nd January (substitute day)
Northern Ireland1 January 2026ThursdayNew Year’s Day
Northern Ireland1 January 2027FridayNew Year’s Day
Northern Ireland3 January 2028MondayNew Year’s Day (substitute day)

Full lists: UK bank holidays 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Substitute days, pay and checking a date

“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

“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

To check whether a particular date is a bank holiday in your nation, or when the next one is, use the bank holiday checker.

Frequently asked questions

Is New Year’s Day a bank holiday in the UK?

Yes. GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json), retrieved on 7 November 2026, lists New Year’s Day as a bank holiday for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028.

What is the New Year’s Day bank holiday date in 2027?

GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027 for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The 2026 entry is on Thursday 1 January 2026.

Is 2 January a bank holiday?

In Scotland, yes: GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists 2nd January for Scotland on Friday 2 January 2026 in 2026 and, as a substitute day, on Monday 4 January 2027 for 2027. The England and Wales and Northern Ireland lists have no 2nd January entry.

Why is New Year’s Day on 3 January in 2028?

1 January 2028 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.” GOV.UK’s bank holidays data (bank-holidays.json) lists New Year’s Day as a substitute day on Monday 3 January 2028 for all three nations.

Does an employer have to give paid leave on New Year’s Day?

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.”

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.