Bank holidays in England and Wales 2026, 2027 and 2028
Eight bank holidays a year, with a substitute weekday when one falls on a weekend.
Holidays shown: 2026, 2027, 2028. Dates checked against the official sources below on October 11, 2026. Make a calendar with these holidays.
The eight bank holidays
England and Wales have New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the early May bank holiday (first Monday in May), the spring bank holiday (last Monday in May), the summer bank holiday (last Monday in August), Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most are set by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 or by royal proclamation each year.
Employers do not have to give paid leave on bank holidays; whether you have the day off depends on your contract. Most calendars still mark them, because banks and many offices close.
Substitute days
When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next weekday is a “substitute day” and that is the bank holiday. On your calendar the substitute day is marked as the holiday and the weekend date keeps its name as an ordinary day. Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, so Monday, December 28 is the substitute. In 2027 Christmas Day is a Saturday and Boxing Day a Sunday, so Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December are both bank holidays. New Year’s Day 2028 is a Saturday, with Monday, January 3, 2028 as its substitute.
Observances
With “Also show observances” ticked, the calendar adds Valentine’s Day, Shrove Tuesday, Mothering Sunday (three weeks before Easter Sunday), Easter Sunday, Father’s Day, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Remembrance Sunday (second Sunday in November), Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, in gray.
England and Wales holidays in 2026
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 1 | New Year’s Day | |
| Friday, April 3 | Good Friday | |
| Monday, April 6 | Easter Monday | |
| Monday, May 4 | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday, May 25 | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday, August 31 | Summer bank holiday | |
| Friday, December 25 | Christmas Day | |
| Saturday, December 26 | Boxing Day | Not a day off |
| Monday, December 28 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Day off instead |
Observances in 2026, shown when you tick “Also show observances”: Valentine’s Day (February 14); Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) (February 17); Mothering Sunday (March 15); Easter Sunday (April 5); Father’s Day (June 21); Halloween (October 31); Bonfire Night (November 5); Remembrance Sunday (November 8); Christmas Eve (December 24); New Year’s Eve (December 31).
England and Wales holidays in 2027
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 1 | New Year’s Day | |
| Friday, March 26 | Good Friday | |
| Monday, March 29 | Easter Monday | |
| Monday, May 3 | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday, May 31 | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday, August 30 | Summer bank holiday | |
| Saturday, December 25 | Christmas Day | Not a day off |
| Sunday, December 26 | Boxing Day | Not a day off |
| Monday, December 27 | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Day off instead |
| Tuesday, December 28 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Day off instead |
Observances in 2027, shown when you tick “Also show observances”: Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) (February 9); Valentine’s Day (February 14); Mothering Sunday (March 7); Easter Sunday (March 28); Father’s Day (June 20); Halloween (October 31); Bonfire Night (November 5); Remembrance Sunday (November 14); Christmas Eve (December 24); New Year’s Eve (December 31).
England and Wales holidays in 2028
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, January 1 | New Year’s Day | Not a day off |
| Monday, January 3 | New Year’s Day (substitute day) | Day off instead |
| Friday, April 14 | Good Friday | |
| Monday, April 17 | Easter Monday | |
| Monday, May 1 | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday, May 29 | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday, August 28 | Summer bank holiday | |
| Monday, December 25 | Christmas Day | |
| Tuesday, December 26 | Boxing Day |
Observances in 2028, shown when you tick “Also show observances”: Valentine’s Day (February 14); Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) (February 29); Mothering Sunday (March 26); Easter Sunday (April 16); Father’s Day (June 18); Halloween (October 31); Bonfire Night (November 5); Remembrance Sunday (November 12); Christmas Eve (December 24); New Year’s Eve (December 31).
Sources
- GOV.UK, UK bank holidays (bank-holidays.json, to 2028), checked October 11, 2026
Dates were generated with the open-source python-holidays library and then checked one by one against these sources; differences were corrected. Spot a holiday that has changed? Tell us at the address on the contact page.