Which Bank Holidays Are Left In The UK In 2026?

I don’t know whether it’s this sunshine, but I’ve been looking at the UK’s bank holiday schedule a lot recently.

We’ve already worked through three of the ones planned this year (New Year’s Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday).

Here’s what’s next in England and Wales, as well as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, the next bank holiday as of the time of writing (April 27) is May 4.

• 4 May (Monday) – Early May bank holiday
• 25 May (Monday) – Spring bank holiday
• 31 August (Monday) – Summer bank holiday
• 25 December (Friday) – Christmas Day
• 28 December (Monday) – Boxing Day (substitute day, i.e., because the day itself didn’t fall on a workday, they’re giving us one in lieu).

• 4 May (Monday) – Early May bank holiday
• 25 May (Monday) – Spring bank holiday
• 15 June (Monday) – World Cup bank holiday
• 3 August (Monday) – Summer bank holiday
• 30 November (Monday) – St Andrew’s Day
• 25 December (Friday) – Christmas Day
• 28 December (Monday) – Boxing Day (substitute day).

• 4 May (Monday) – Early May bank holiday
• 25 May (Monday) – Spring bank holiday
• 13 July (Monday) – Battle of the Boyne (substitute day)
• 31 August (Monday) – Summer bank holiday
• 25 December (Friday) – Christmas Day
• 28 December (Monday) – Boxing Day (substitute day).

They were actually called St Lubbock’s Days originally, after the banker (Sir John Lubbock) who helped to bring bank holidays about.

In case you’re wondering what a random day in August has to do with the financial industry, though, I’m afraid you might be barking up the wrong tree.

Some say Lubbock planned the holidays around his local village’s cricket schedule.

According to the Trade Union Congress, if I’d been writing this list in Victorian times, I’d have had a much more laborious task.

“Prior to 1834, the Bank of England observed about thirty-three saints’ days and religious festivals as holidays, but in 1834, this was drastically reduced to just four: Good Friday, 1st May, 1st November, and Christmas Day,” they said.

The ’70s was the last time the TUC successfully campaigned for an extra bank holiday.