1 day of leave, 4 days off
Bank holidays 2026 across the UK
Bank holidays 2026 for 3 nations in the UK, each from its official list. The best deal of the year: England and Wales, 1 to 4 January, 4 days off for 1 day of annual leave.
- shared holidays
- 6
- on weekdays
- 6
- Holidays per region
- 8 to 10
- Regions in the planner
- 3
2026 at a glance
The UK has three bank holiday lists: England and Wales share one, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own. GOV.UK publishes them, and most employers include them in the 28 days of statutory leave. Pick your nation for the full list and the best days to book off.
Scotland
England6 days are shared by every nation listed here: New Year's Day (Thursday 1 January), Good Friday (Friday 3 April), Early May bank holiday (Monday 4 May), Spring bank holiday (Monday 25 May), Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and Boxing Day (Monday 28 December).
ScotlandEnglandThe days everyone gets in 2026
What each shared day marks and where it falls this year.
- Thursday 1 January: New Year's Day. New Year's Day is a bank holiday across the UK, a quiet day after the midnight celebrations. When it falls on a weekend, the day off moves to the following weekday.
- Friday 3 April: Good Friday. Good Friday is a bank holiday across the UK. It opens the Easter weekend, which often overlaps with school Easter holidays, so book trips early.
- Monday 4 May: Early May bank holiday. The Early May bank holiday falls on the first Monday of May, often with May Day fairs and morris dancing. It opens the spring season of long weekends in the UK.
- Monday 25 May: Spring bank holiday. The Spring bank holiday on the last Monday of May lines up with half term in many schools, making it one of the busiest weeks for UK breaks at home and abroad.
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a bank holiday across the UK, when almost all shops and public transport close. Booking leave in the days between Christmas and New Year gives a long break for few days of leave.
- Monday 28 December: Boxing Day. Boxing Day, 26 December, brings football fixtures, winter walks and the big sales. With Christmas Day it gives two bank holidays in a row, the start of the longest break of the year.
Who gets the most bank holidays in 2026
Northern Ireland leads with 10, followed by Scotland (10) and England and Wales (8).
The most efficient break of the year belongs to England and Wales: 1 to 4 January, 4.0 days off for every day of leave.
2026 by nation
| Region | Bank holidays | Best stretch | Longest break |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 8 (8 on weekdays) | 1 day of leave, 4 days offThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan | 10 days offFri 25 Dec to Sun 3 Jan · 3 |
| Northern Ireland | 10 (10 on weekdays) | 1 day of leave, 4 days offThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan | 10 days offFri 25 Dec to Sun 3 Jan · 3 |
| Scotland | 10 (10 on weekdays) | 3 days of leave, 11 days offFri 25 Dec to Mon 4 Jan | 11 days offFri 25 Dec to Mon 4 Jan · 3 |
Calendar 2026: the shared holidays
- Bank holiday
- Annual leave in a break
- Weekend
- School holidays
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Every nation in 2026
One paragraph per nation: how many full days off, the days that are its own, and the breaks worth booking first.
- England and Wales: 8 bank holidays, 8 on a weekday. Its own: Easter Monday (6 April) and Summer bank holiday (31 August). Best break: 1 to 4 January, 4 days off for 1 day of annual leave. Longest: 10 days from 25 December for 3 days of annual leave.
- Northern Ireland: 10 bank holidays, 10 on a weekday. Its own: St Patrick's Day (17 March), Easter Monday (6 April), Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) (13 July) and Summer bank holiday (31 August). Best break: 1 to 4 January, 4 days off for 1 day of annual leave. Longest: 10 days from 25 December for 3 days of annual leave.
- Scotland: 10 bank holidays, 10 on a weekday. Its own: 2nd January (2 January), World Cup bank holiday (15 June), Summer bank holiday (3 August) and St Andrew's Day (30 November). Best break: 25 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, 11 days off for 3 days of annual leave.
The days that differ by nation
Beyond the shared days, each nation keeps its own. These are the ones that decide whose long weekends are longer in 2026.
- 2nd January, Friday 2 January: Scotland. Scotland adds 2 January to New Year's Day, a tradition from Hogmanay. Two days off in a row make the Scottish New Year one of the longest winter breaks in the UK.
- St Patrick's Day, Tuesday 17 March: Northern Ireland. St Patrick's Day, Ireland's national day, is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland. Belfast and towns across the province hold parades, music and festivals.
- Easter Monday, Monday 6 April: England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Easter Monday is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not in Scotland. Together with Good Friday it creates a four day Easter weekend, a peak time for UK breaks.
- World Cup bank holiday, Monday 15 June: Scotland. A one off bank holiday declared for the football World Cup. It adds a summer day off that pairs well with a weekend away or a watch party with friends.
- Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day), Monday 13 July: Northern Ireland. The Twelfth marks the Battle of the Boyne and is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland. Parades take place across the province, and many people use the week around it for a summer holiday.
- Summer bank holiday, Monday 3 August: Scotland. The Summer bank holiday closes the school summer. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it falls on the last Monday of August, in Scotland on the first; beaches, festivals and roads get busy.
- Summer bank holiday, Monday 31 August: England and Wales and Northern Ireland. The Summer bank holiday closes the school summer. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it falls on the last Monday of August, in Scotland on the first; beaches, festivals and roads get busy.
- St Andrew's Day, Monday 30 November: Scotland. St Andrew's Day honours Scotland's patron saint on 30 November. When it falls on a weekend, the bank holiday moves to the Monday, and ceilidhs and Scottish food fill the calendar.
2026 season by season
Winter: New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January, Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and Boxing Day on Monday 28 December. A bank holiday on a Monday or Friday gives a three-day weekend for everyone in the UK.
Spring: Good Friday on Friday 3 April, Early May bank holiday on Monday 4 May and Spring bank holiday on Monday 25 May. A bank holiday on a Monday or Friday gives a three-day weekend for everyone in the UK.
The shared holidays 2026
| Date | Weekday | Bank holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year's Day | nationwide |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday | nationwide |
| 4 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday | nationwide |
| 25 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday | nationwide |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day | nationwide |
| 28 December | Monday | Boxing Day | nationwide |
Each region's own holidays are listed on its page.
Trip ideas for the long weekends of 2026
Places with the right climate for the three strongest stretches, flights from LHR. Each region's page uses the airport closest to you.
1 January to 4 January: 1 day of leave, 4 days off
Short flight in January, flights from LHR
iPhoto: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCosta Blanca14 °C by day · Sea 15 °C · Flight about 2 h 18Plan a trip for these daysSee Costa Blanca
Lisbon15 °C by day · Sea 15 °C · Flight about 2 h 24, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Lisbon
Lake Garda7 °C by day · Flight about 1 h 45Plan a trip for these daysSee Lake Garda
1 January to 4 January: 1 day of leave, 4 days off
Short flight in January, flights from LHR
- iPhoto: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCosta Blanca14 °C by day · Sea 15 °C · Flight about 2 h 18Plan a trip for these daysSee Costa Blanca
- Lisbon15 °C by day · Sea 15 °C · Flight about 2 h 24, directPlan a trip for these daysSee Lisbon
- Lake Garda7 °C by day · Flight about 1 h 45Plan a trip for these daysSee Lake Garda
25 December to 4 January: 3 days of leave, 11 days off
Warm, up to 4 hours away in December, flights from LHR
iPhoto: Darymaister · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsWestern Sahara24 °C by day · Flight about 3 h 56Plan a trip for these daysSee Western Sahara
iPhoto: Lviatour · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLanzarote20 °C by day · Sea 20 °C · Flight about 3 h 44Plan a trip for these daysSee Lanzarote
iPhoto: Marco Riss · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAgadir22 °C by day · Sea 18 °C · Flight about 3 h 26Plan a trip for these daysSee Agadir
Where these dates come from
Each nation page is built from that nation's own official list, read directly and checked against a second independent source. Nations whose 2026 list is not out yet appear as soon as it is published; nothing is ever copied from a neighbour.
The best breaks use weekends and full days off only, with up to ten days of annual leave, and are ranked by days off per day of leave.
Bank Holiday Planner 2026: frequently asked questions
Which nation has the most bank holidays in 2026?
Northern Ireland, with 10.
What is the best long weekend of 2026?
1 to 4 January in England and Wales: 1 day of annual leave for 4 days off.
How do I plan my days of annual leave for 2026?
Open your nation, start with the breaks at the top of the table, and book them early: flights and stays fill up fast around bank holidays.
Your region
How the Bank Holiday Planner works
Holidays: the public holidays from each region's official list, checked date by date.
Stretches: start and end on a day off, include at least one holiday and at most 10 days of leave. Saturday and Sunday count as free.
Trip ideas: the month's climate and flights from the main airport.
