UK Bank Holidays 2026 and 2027: All Three Nations

The UK has three lists of bank holidays, not one: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The tables above show this year’s and next year’s dates for each, with a countdown to the next one, straight from the official GOV.UK data. A bank holiday is not automatically a paid day off.

Three nations, three lists

Most dates are shared: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, the Early May and Spring bank holidays, the Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The differences:

• England and Wales: 8 bank holidays a year, including Easter Monday.
• Scotland: no Easter Monday, but 2 January and St Andrew’s Day (30 November) are added, and the Summer bank holiday falls in early August rather than at the end of the month.
• Northern Ireland: the same 8 as England and Wales, plus St Patrick’s Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne in July.

One-off holidays happen: GOV.UK lists a World Cup bank holiday in Scotland on 15 June 2026, so the tool reads the official feed, not a fixed list.

Bank holidays in 2027

Still to come in 2026: St Andrew’s Day in Scotland on 30 November, then Christmas Day on 25 December and Boxing Day (substitute) on 28 December everywhere.

What is a substitute day?

GOV.UK says that if a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday. In 2027 Christmas Day is a Saturday and Boxing Day a Sunday, so the holidays move to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. The tool marks them.

Is a bank holiday paid leave?

Not automatically. Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank holidays, and can count them towards your 5.6 weeks’ statutory holiday. In practice:

• A 5-day worker gets at least 28 days, which may be 20 days of your choice plus the 8 bank holidays.
• Whether you work on a bank holiday is up to your employer. If you do, Acas says you must still get your full 5.6 weeks as paid time off. Any extra pay for the day depends on your contract.
• You cannot be paid in place of bank holidays, except as untaken leave when you leave a job.
• If a bank holiday falls on a day you do not usually work, for example a part-timer who does not work Mondays, your employer cannot make you use that day from your entitlement.
• An employer can tell you to take leave on set days, such as bank holidays or over Christmas, with notice at least twice as long as the leave.

Work out your own entitlement with the holiday entitlement calculator.

What closes on a bank holiday?

There is no single rule. Acas notes that restaurants and hotels are more likely to open. Many banks and public offices close, and shops, transport and clinics may change their hours. Check the organisation’s website, allow for payments moving to the next working day, and check timetables (see the transport guide).

What the tool does not show

• Local holidays some councils or employers give outside the official list.
• Religious festivals that are not bank holidays, such as Eid. For daily prayer times see prayer times.
• Whether your day off is paid. Your contract decides that.

Frequently asked questions

How many bank holidays are there in the UK?

England and Wales has 8 in a normal year. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different lists, shown in full above.

Do I get extra pay for working a bank holiday?

The GOV.UK and Acas guidance we checked gives no legal right to extra pay. Your contract sets it, but your full paid holiday entitlement still applies.

Which list applies to me?

The list for the nation where you work, not where your employer’s head office is.

Can the dates change?

One-off holidays can be added. The tool reads the live GOV.UK feed.

Sources

• GOV.UK: UK bank holidays ↗
• GOV.UK: bank holidays data (JSON) ↗
• Acas: Bank holidays and Christmas ↗
• GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement ↗

Next step

Check your leave in the holiday entitlement calculator. Starting a new job? Read working in the UK and the first month guide, and plan your pay with the salary calculator.

Reviewed 24 September 2026.