Scotland gets an extra bank holiday in 2026 that no other nation gets: Monday 15 June was a one-off World Cup bank holiday, taking Scotland to 10 days for the year against 8 in England and Wales and 10 in Northern Ireland. The rest of the calendar is the usual pattern — Good Friday on 3 April, Easter Monday on 6 April (everywhere except Scotland), and Christmas Day on Friday 25 December, with the Boxing Day substitute on Monday 28 December because Boxing Day itself falls on a Saturday.
This guide lists every 2026 date by nation, explains how bank holidays fit into your statutory leave, and finishes with the 2027 dates so you can plan past December.
The short version
- England and Wales: 8 bank holidays in 2026. Scotland: 10 — the usual 9 plus a one-off World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026. Northern Ireland: 10.
- Scotland has no Easter Monday, and its summer bank holiday falls on Monday 3 August, four weeks before the rest of the UK.
- Christmas Day 2026 is Friday 25 December. Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so the substitute day is Monday 28 December everywhere.
- Bank holidays are not extra paid leave by law. Your employer can count them inside your 28 days’ statutory leave or give them on top — check your contract.
- At the time of writing (November 2026), only three 2026 dates are still ahead: St Andrew’s Day on 30 November in Scotland, then Christmas Day and the Boxing Day substitute.
On this page:
- The full 2026 calendar
- England and Wales: 8 days
- Scotland: 10 days, including the World Cup day
- Northern Ireland: 10 days
- Bank holidays and your holiday entitlement
- Planning around the dates
- Looking ahead: 2027 dates
- Questions people ask
The full 2026 calendar
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 2 January 2026 | Friday | 2nd January | Scotland only |
| 17 March 2026 | Tuesday | St Patrick’s Day | Northern Ireland only |
| 3 April 2026 | Friday | Good Friday | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 6 April 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland (not Scotland) |
| 4 May 2026 | Monday | Early May bank holiday | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Spring bank holiday | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 15 June 2026 | Monday | World Cup bank holiday (one-off) | Scotland only |
| 13 July 2026 | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day) | Northern Ireland only |
| 3 August 2026 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland only |
| 31 August 2026 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 30 November 2026 | Monday | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland only |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 28 December 2026 | Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
If a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday becomes the bank holiday, normally the following Monday. That is why Boxing Day 2026 is observed on Monday 28 December, and why Northern Ireland’s Battle of the Boyne (12 July, a Sunday) is observed on Monday 13 July.
Source: GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (checked 8 November 2026).
England and Wales: 8 days
England and Wales share one list of 8 bank holidays in 2026:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday 1 January 2026
- Good Friday: Friday 3 April 2026
- Easter Monday: Monday 6 April 2026
- Early May bank holiday: Monday 4 May 2026
- Spring bank holiday: Monday 25 May 2026
- Summer bank holiday: Monday 31 August 2026
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December 2026
- Boxing Day (substitute day): Monday 28 December 2026
Five of the eight fall on a Monday (6 April, 4 May, 25 May, 31 August and 28 December), and Christmas Day falls on a Friday, so the Christmas break runs Friday 25 December to Monday 28 December before most workplaces reopen.
Scotland: 10 days, including the World Cup day
Scotland has 10 bank holidays in 2026 — its usual 9, plus one extra:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday 1 January 2026
- 2nd January: Friday 2 January 2026
- Good Friday: Friday 3 April 2026
- Early May bank holiday: Monday 4 May 2026
- Spring bank holiday: Monday 25 May 2026
- World Cup bank holiday (one-off): Monday 15 June 2026
- Summer bank holiday: Monday 3 August 2026
- St Andrew’s Day: Monday 30 November 2026
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December 2026
- Boxing Day (substitute day): Monday 28 December 2026
Three things to note. First, Scotland has no Easter Monday — 6 April 2026 is a normal working day in Scotland while it is a bank holiday in the rest of the UK. Second, Scotland’s summer bank holiday is the first Monday in August (3 August), not the last Monday like the rest of the UK (31 August). Third, the World Cup bank holiday on 15 June 2026 was a one-off for Scotland only, granted by Royal Proclamation after Scotland reached the men’s World Cup finals for the first time since 1998. It does not recur — Scotland is back to 9 bank holidays in 2027.
Northern Ireland: 10 days
Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2026, the joint highest in the UK:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday 1 January 2026
- St Patrick’s Day: Tuesday 17 March 2026
- Good Friday: Friday 3 April 2026
- Easter Monday: Monday 6 April 2026
- Early May bank holiday: Monday 4 May 2026
- Spring bank holiday: Monday 25 May 2026
- Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day): Monday 13 July 2026
- Summer bank holiday: Monday 31 August 2026
- Christmas Day: Friday 25 December 2026
- Boxing Day (substitute day): Monday 28 December 2026
Northern Ireland’s two extra days are St Patrick’s Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne on 12 July. Because 12 July 2026 falls on a Sunday, the day is observed on Monday 13 July. Its summer bank holiday matches England and Wales (31 August), not Scotland (3 August).
Bank holidays and your holiday entitlement
A bank holiday is not the same as a day of annual leave, and the distinction catches people out.
Almost all workers in the UK are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year. For someone working a 5-day week, that is at least 28 days a year, and the statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days — working a 6-day week does not raise it.
Bank holidays do not have to be given as paid leave. Your employer can include bank holidays as part of your statutory annual leave, or give them on top of it. Both are lawful, so the answer is in your contract:
- 28 days including bank holidays (the statutory minimum): in England and Wales, 8 of those 28 days are the bank holidays, leaving 20 days you can choose yourself. In Scotland in 2026, 10 are bank holidays, leaving 18.
- 28 days plus bank holidays (the more generous deal many employers offer): you get your 28 days to book, and the bank holidays come on top — 36 days off in total in England and Wales in 2026.
Part-time workers get the same 5.6 weeks on a pro-rata basis, and irregular-hours workers accrue leave at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024. If you work on a bank holiday, whether you get extra pay or a day off in lieu depends on your contract — there is no automatic legal right to either.
Source: GOV.UK, Holiday entitlement
Also, read Help with the Cost of Living from Your Council: Crisis and Resilience Fund (2026–2029)
Planning around the dates
A few dates do most of the work for planning a year:
- Easter: Good Friday 3 April to Easter Monday 6 April gives a four-day weekend in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Book 7–10 April off and you get a nine-day break for four days of leave in England and Wales.
- The May Mondays: 4 May and 25 May are both Mondays. They sit three weeks apart, so they suit short breaks rather than one long one.
- Scotland’s June and August Mondays: 15 June (World Cup day) and 3 August are both Mondays, and they fall well before England’s August bank holiday on 31 August — worth knowing if you manage a team across the border.
- Christmas: Friday 25 December to Monday 28 December is a four-day weekend everywhere. Book 29–31 December and you are off until Monday 4 January 2027 for three days of leave.
One practical point for anyone whose work touches deadlines: government offices, banks and many suppliers close on bank holidays, so payment runs, Companies House filings and deliveries all shift. Build in a day either side of a bank holiday for anything time-critical, and tell clients in advance when your office will be shut.
Looking ahead: 2027 dates
These 2027 dates are already published on GOV.UK. Scotland drops back to 9 — the World Cup day was for 2026 only.
| Date | Day | Bank holiday | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | Friday | New Year’s Day | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 4 January 2027 | Monday | 2nd January (substitute day) | Scotland only |
| 17 March 2027 | Wednesday | St Patrick’s Day | Northern Ireland only |
| 26 March 2027 | Friday | Good Friday | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 29 March 2027 | Monday | Easter Monday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland (not Scotland) |
| 3 May 2027 | Monday | Early May bank holiday | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 31 May 2027 | Monday | Spring bank holiday | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 12 July 2027 | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | Northern Ireland only |
| 2 August 2027 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland only |
| 30 August 2027 | Monday | Summer bank holiday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland |
| 30 November 2027 | Tuesday | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland only |
| 27 December 2027 | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
| 28 December 2027 | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland |
Source: GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (checked 8 November 2026).
Questions people ask
How many bank holidays are there in the UK in 2026?
It depends on the nation: England and Wales have 8, Scotland has 10, and Northern Ireland has 10. Scotland’s 2026 total includes the one-off World Cup bank holiday on 15 June; its usual total is 9.
Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland?
No. Scotland does not observe Easter Monday. In 2026, Monday 6 April is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but a normal working day in Scotland.
Why does Scotland have a World Cup bank holiday in 2026?
Monday 15 June 2026 was made a one-off bank holiday in Scotland by Royal Proclamation, announced 5 February 2026, to mark Scotland playing in the men’s football World Cup finals for the first time since 1998. It applied to Scotland only and does not recur.
Do I get bank holidays off work automatically?
No. Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank holidays. They can count bank holidays inside your statutory 28 days’ leave, or give them on top. Check your contract — and if you work a bank holiday, any extra pay or time off in lieu is a contractual matter, not an automatic right.
What changed from 2025?
The counts are the same in England and Wales (8) and Northern Ireland (10), but Scotland rose from 9 to 10 because of the one-off World Cup day. The dates moved, as they do every year: Good Friday moved from 18 April 2025 to 3 April 2026, and Christmas Day moved from Thursday 25 December 2025 to Friday 25 December 2026.
When is the next bank holiday?
At the time of writing (November 2026), the next bank holiday in Scotland is St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30 November 2026, and the next in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026, followed by the Boxing Day substitute on Monday 28 December.
Sources checked
- GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (all 2026 and 2027 dates, by nation)
- GOV.UK, Holiday entitlement (5.6 weeks, 28 days, bank holidays not automatically paid leave)
All sources checked 8 November 2026. Bank holidays can change and one-off days are sometimes added, so check GOV.UK before committing to a date that matters.
The 2026 calendar is nearly done — only St Andrew’s Day, Christmas Day and the Boxing Day substitute are still ahead — so if you are planning leave, the 2027 table above is the one to use. Check your contract for how bank holidays count towards your leave, then book around the Mondays.
