England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026 and 2027, Northern Ireland has 10, and Scotland has 10 in 2026 (including a one-off World Cup bank holiday) and 9 in 2027. The tables below give every date for each nation, including substitute days when a holiday falls on a weekend.
UK Bank Holidays 2027
| Bank holiday | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Friday 1 January | Friday 1 January | Friday 1 January |
| 2nd January | — | Monday 4 January (substitute day) | — |
| St Patrick’s Day | — | — | Wednesday 17 March |
| Good Friday | Friday 26 March | Friday 26 March | Friday 26 March |
| Easter Monday | Monday 29 March | — | Monday 29 March |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 3 May | Monday 3 May | Monday 3 May |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 31 May | Monday 31 May | Monday 31 May |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | — | — | Monday 12 July |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 30 August | Monday 2 August | Monday 30 August |
| St Andrew’s Day | — | Tuesday 30 November | — |
| Christmas Day | Monday 27 December (substitute day) | Monday 27 December (substitute day) | Monday 27 December (substitute day) |
| Boxing Day | Tuesday 28 December (substitute day) | Tuesday 28 December (substitute day) | Tuesday 28 December (substitute day) |
Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2027 fall on a Saturday and Sunday, so the bank holidays move to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. In Scotland, 2 January 2027 is a Saturday, so that bank holiday moves to Monday 4 January.
UK Bank Holidays 2026
| Bank holiday | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January | Thursday 1 January | Thursday 1 January |
| 2nd January | — | Friday 2 January | — |
| St Patrick’s Day | — | — | Tuesday 17 March |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April | Friday 3 April | Friday 3 April |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April | — | Monday 6 April |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 4 May | Monday 4 May | Monday 4 May |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 25 May | Monday 25 May | Monday 25 May |
| World Cup bank holiday | — | Monday 15 June | — |
| Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | — | — | Monday 13 July (substitute day) |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 31 August | Monday 3 August | Monday 31 August |
| St Andrew’s Day | — | Monday 30 November | — |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Friday 25 December | Friday 25 December |
| Boxing Day | Monday 28 December (substitute day) | Monday 28 December (substitute day) | Monday 28 December (substitute day) |
Scotland has an extra one-off World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026. Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, so the bank holiday is on Monday 28 December everywhere in the UK.
How Many Bank Holidays Are There in the UK?
| Nation | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 8 | 8 |
| Scotland | 10 | 9 |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | 10 |
Bank holidays are not the same in every part of the UK: Scotland has 2 January and St Andrew’s Day but no Easter Monday, and Northern Ireland adds St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne.
Substitute Days: When a Bank Holiday Falls on a Weekend
When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a weekday is set as a substitute day, usually the following Monday. When Christmas Day and Boxing Day both fall on a weekend, the holidays move to the Monday and Tuesday after, as in December 2027.
Do You Get Paid for Bank Holidays?
Bank holidays are not extra leave by law: most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year, and an employer can count bank holidays as part of it (GOV.UK: holiday entitlement). Whether you get the day off, and what you are paid for working it, depends on your contract. If you are paid a premium for working a bank holiday, the Overtime Calculator works out the pay at time and a half, double time or a custom rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a bank holiday when Boxing Day falls on a weekend?
Yes. A weekday substitute is given instead: Monday 28 December in 2026 and Tuesday 28 December in 2027.
Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland?
No. Easter Monday is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not in Scotland.
When is Easter 2027?
Easter Sunday 2027 is 28 March, so Good Friday is Friday 26 March and Easter Monday is Monday 29 March 2027.
What are the Christmas bank holidays in 2027?
Monday 27 December (Christmas Day substitute) and Tuesday 28 December 2027 (Boxing Day substitute), in all four nations.
Sources
- GOV.UK: UK bank holidays (official dates for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement
- Privy Council: 2027 bank holiday proclamation (8 July 2026)
Related Calculators
- Work Hours Calculator — weekly time card and timesheet totals.
- Overtime Calculator — holiday and overtime pay at any rate.
- Free Timesheet Templates — printable weekly and biweekly timesheets.
- Hours Calculator — time between two times.