How many UK bank holidays are there in 2026?

England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026 (New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day substitute). Scotland has 9 (the 8 above minus Easter Monday plus St Andrew's Day, 2 January, and Summer Bank Holiday on a different date). Northern Ireland has 10 (the 8 plus St Patrick's Day and Battle of the Boyne).

Do UK bank holidays count as paid leave?

It depends on your contract. UK law requires 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave for full-time employees, and bank holidays can be included in this 28-day total or given on top. About 70% of UK contracts include bank holidays in the 28 days; about 30% give them on top (more generous). Check your contract — if it says '20 days plus bank holidays' that's 28 days total; if it says '28 days inclusive of bank holidays' that's the same total but you can use the bank holiday days for other leave.

Do I get paid extra for working a UK bank holiday?

Not by law. UK employment law doesn't require enhanced pay for bank holiday work. However, many UK employer contracts (especially in retail, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing) provide enhanced rates — typically 1.25x to 2x normal pay, or time-and-a-half plus a day off in lieu. Check your specific contract. If your contract is silent on bank holiday pay, you receive normal pay for any bank holiday hours worked.

Can my employer make me work on a UK bank holiday?

Yes, generally. UK law gives you 5.6 weeks of leave but doesn't specify when you must take it — bank holidays can be required working days in retail, hospitality, healthcare, transport, and many service sectors. If you regularly work bank holidays, your contract typically gives you alternative leave days or enhanced pay. If your contract doesn't address this, the employer's reasonable instruction to work usually applies. Consistent refusal to work scheduled bank holidays can lead to disciplinary action depending on your role.

What if a UK bank holiday falls on a weekend?

When a UK bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next working day becomes the substitute bank holiday. For example, if Christmas Day (25 December) falls on a Saturday, Boxing Day (26 December) and a Monday substitute would be the bank holidays. In 2026, 25 December is a Friday and 26 December is a Saturday — so 28 December (Monday) is the substitute Boxing Day.

Does the UK have any new bank holidays planned for 2026 or 2027?

Not currently. The UK occasionally adds one-off bank holidays (Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022, Coronation 2023, Queen's funeral 2022). No additional bank holidays have been confirmed for 2026 or 2027. Any future additions would typically be announced 6-12 months in advance via gov.uk.

UK Bank Holidays · 2026 and 2027

UK Bank Holidays 2026 and 2027 — Complete Guide

Every UK bank holiday for 2026 and 2027 — England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland. Plus the practical questions UK employees actually ask: do they count as paid leave, do you get paid extra for working them, what happens when one falls on a weekend, and how they affect UK hiring.

By Alex · 12-year UK recruiter · Updated 27 April 2026

UK bank holidays 2026

Date	Day	Holiday	E&W	Scot	NI
1 January 2026	Thursday	New Year's Day	✓	✓	✓
2 January 2026	Friday	2 January	—	✓	—
17 March 2026	Tuesday	St Patrick's Day	—	—	✓
3 April 2026	Friday	Good Friday	✓	✓	✓
6 April 2026	Monday	Easter Monday	✓	—	✓
4 May 2026	Monday	Early May Bank Holiday	✓	✓	✓
25 May 2026	Monday	Spring Bank Holiday	✓	✓	✓
13 July 2026	Monday	Battle of the Boyne (substitute, observed Mon)	—	—	✓
3 August 2026	Monday	Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland)	—	✓	—
31 August 2026	Monday	Summer Bank Holiday	✓	—	✓
30 November 2026	Monday	St Andrew's Day (substitute)	—	✓	—
25 December 2026	Friday	Christmas Day	✓	✓	✓
28 December 2026	Monday	Boxing Day (substitute)	✓	✓	✓

UK bank holidays 2027

Date	Day	Holiday	E&W	Scot	NI
1 January 2027	Friday	New Year's Day	✓	✓	✓
4 January 2027	Monday	2 January (substitute)	—	✓	—
17 March 2027	Wednesday	St Patrick's Day	—	—	✓
26 March 2027	Friday	Good Friday	✓	✓	✓
29 March 2027	Monday	Easter Monday	✓	—	✓
3 May 2027	Monday	Early May Bank Holiday	✓	✓	✓
31 May 2027	Monday	Spring Bank Holiday	✓	✓	✓
12 July 2027	Monday	Battle of the Boyne	—	—	✓
2 August 2027	Monday	Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland)	—	✓	—
30 August 2027	Monday	Summer Bank Holiday	✓	—	✓
30 November 2027	Tuesday	St Andrew's Day	—	✓	—
27 December 2027	Monday	Christmas Day (substitute)	✓	✓	✓
28 December 2027	Tuesday	Boxing Day	✓	✓	✓

Bank holidays and your annual leave

UK statutory annual leave is 5.6 weeks (28 days for a full-time 5-day worker). Bank holidays can be either:

Inclusive of the 28 days: Your contract gives "28 days inclusive of bank holidays" — about 70% of UK contracts. Of your 28 days, 8 (E&W) get used as bank holidays, leaving 20 you can book voluntarily.
On top of the 28 days: Your contract gives "20 days plus bank holidays" — about 30% of UK contracts (more generous). Total 28 days for E&W, with bank holidays separate from your bookable 20 days.

Use our UK Holiday Entitlement Calculator to see your specific entitlement based on working pattern, contract type, and bank holiday treatment.

Working on UK bank holidays

UK law doesn't require employers to give bank holidays off, and doesn't require enhanced pay for bank holiday work. The actual treatment depends entirely on your contract:

Office and professional services: Most close on bank holidays; staff get the day off as part of their leave entitlement.
Retail and hospitality: Often open. Staff usually receive enhanced pay (1.25x to 2x) plus a day in lieu, or one of these two benefits depending on contract.
Healthcare (NHS and private): Open 365 days. NHS staff receive enhanced rates per Agenda for Change. Private healthcare contracts vary.
Transport, emergency services, manufacturing: Often work bank holidays with enhanced rates.
Construction: Most close on bank holidays; site security may work with enhanced rates.

If you're working a bank holiday and unsure of your entitlement, check your contract clauses on bank holiday work, public holiday pay, or "premium time" — these typically specify the treatment.

UK bank holidays and hiring

From 12 years in UK recruitment, bank holidays affect hiring patterns predictably:

Mid-December to early January: Significant hiring slowdown. New roles rarely advertised. Active processes pause.
First two weeks of January: Reset period. New budgets approved, hiring resumes aggressively.
Easter week: Mild slowdown but processes continue.
Late May Spring Bank Holiday: Marginal impact on hiring.
Summer Bank Holiday (late August): End-of-summer hiring slowdown leading into September restart.
The week of Christmas: Hiring effectively stops. Senior decision-makers unavailable. Plan applications around this.

Best UK hiring windows: January–March (peak) and September–November (secondary peak). Avoid sending applications during the week of any major bank holiday — they often get lost in inbox triage.

Pair this with

→ UK Holiday Entitlement Calculator — see your specific entitlement
→ UK Tax Year 2026/27 Calendar — full reference of UK 2026/27 important dates
→ UK Statutory Rates 2026/27 — leave + pay rates
→ UK Employment Rights — leave, sickness, parental leave

Common questions about UK bank holidays

How many UK bank holidays are there in 2026?: England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026 (New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day substitute). Scotland has 9 (the 8 above minus Easter Monday plus St Andrew's Day, 2 January, and Summer Bank Holiday on a different date). Northern Ireland has 10 (the 8 plus St Patrick's Day and Battle of the Boyne).
Do UK bank holidays count as paid leave?: It depends on your contract. UK law requires 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave for full-time employees, and bank holidays can be included in this 28-day total or given on top. About 70% of UK contracts include bank holidays in the 28 days; about 30% give them on top (more generous). Check your contract — if it says '20 days plus bank holidays' that's 28 days total; if it says '28 days inclusive of bank holidays' that's the same total but you can use the bank holiday days for other leave.
Do I get paid extra for working a UK bank holiday?: Not by law. UK employment law doesn't require enhanced pay for bank holiday work. However, many UK employer contracts (especially in retail, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing) provide enhanced rates — typically 1.25x to 2x normal pay, or time-and-a-half plus a day off in lieu. Check your specific contract. If your contract is silent on bank holiday pay, you receive normal pay for any bank holiday hours worked.
Can my employer make me work on a UK bank holiday?: Yes, generally. UK law gives you 5.6 weeks of leave but doesn't specify when you must take it — bank holidays can be required working days in retail, hospitality, healthcare, transport, and many service sectors. If you regularly work bank holidays, your contract typically gives you alternative leave days or enhanced pay. If your contract doesn't address this, the employer's reasonable instruction to work usually applies. Consistent refusal to work scheduled bank holidays can lead to disciplinary action depending on your role.
What if a UK bank holiday falls on a weekend?: When a UK bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next working day becomes the substitute bank holiday. For example, if Christmas Day (25 December) falls on a Saturday, Boxing Day (26 December) and a Monday substitute would be the bank holidays. In 2026, 25 December is a Friday and 26 December is a Saturday — so 28 December (Monday) is the substitute Boxing Day.
Does the UK have any new bank holidays planned for 2026 or 2027?: Not currently. The UK occasionally adds one-off bank holidays (Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022, Coronation 2023, Queen's funeral 2022). No additional bank holidays have been confirmed for 2026 or 2027. Any future additions would typically be announced 6-12 months in advance via gov.uk.