In the hustle and bustle of life, juggling our work with family responsibilities, having time off can be really tricky. This is why we’re going to look at the best way to maximise your time off work by revealing when the UK Bank Holidays 2026 are. The dates are important, along with when you book your time off work to enjoy extended periods of time with your loved ones. Let’s dive in!
Bank Holidays 2026 In The UK
The list of UK Bank Holidays 2026 goes like this:
- New Year’s Day – Thursday 1st January 2026
- Good Friday – Friday 3rd April 2026
- Easter Monday – Monday 6th April 2026
- Early May Bank Holiday – Monday 4th May 2026
- Spring Bank Holiday – Monday 25th May 2026
- Summer Bank Holiday – Monday 31st August 2026
- Christmas Day – Friday 25th December 2026
- Boxing Day – Monday 28th December 2026 (substitute day)
Substitute Days
There is one substitute day in 2026. With Christmas Day falling on a Friday, Boxing Day actually falls on a Saturday. As bank holidays are taken during the ‘working week’, the substitute day for Boxing Day gives us Monday 28th December as a bank holiday.
How To Make The Most Of Your Time Off
Using our annual leave to have longer periods of time off work is a great idea. When we look at when the UK bank holidays 2026 are, we can figure out which days to book off to extend our time.
For example, in 2026 the Easter bank holidays fall on Friday 3rd and Monday 6th April. This means you can book just 8 days off work and actually enjoy 16 days off work. A 2 for 1 special! Simply book the 30th March to 2nd April off, along with 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th and you’ll leave the office on 27th March and not return until 13th April. That’s a lot of time off work without giving up many vacation days.
You can do something similar with the festive holidays too. Turn 4 days of annual leave into 10 days off by booking 21st, 22nd, 23rd & 24th December off work. With weekends, you’ll leave work on 18th December and not return until 29th due to the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday. You can extend this even more by booking an extra 3 days off (29th, 30th & 31st) so you wouldn’t return to the office until 4th January 2027. That’s 7 days of annual leave giving you 16 days off to enjoy the festivities with family and friends.
These tricks won’t work for everyone, because many of us work shifts and in retail where holidays are few and far between during the Christmas season. However, it can be a great way to use your annual leave for some of us. If you can book your time off alongside Bank Holidays you can enjoy longer periods relaxing away from the workplace.
Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To
A little bit of preparation and planning can help us book things early. This gives us something to look forward to and can also save us money. It could be time with the family at home, grabbing tickets to an event right here in the UK or maybe even booking a holiday in another country. Be sure to book your annual leave in this clever fashion and make those UK Bank Holidays 2026 work for you.
FAQs
How many Bank Holidays in 2026?
In England & Wales, there are eight Bank Holidays in 2026. Scotland is slightly different as they have two extra, New Year Holiday on Friday 2nd January 2026 and St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30th November.
- New Year’s Day – Thursday 1st January 2026
- New Year Holiday – Friday 2nd January 2026 (Scotland)
- Good Friday – Friday 3rd April 2026
- Easter Monday – Monday 6th April 2026
- Early May Bank Holiday – Monday 4th May 2026
- Spring Bank Holiday – Monday 25th May 2026
- Summer Bank Holiday – Monday 31st August 2026
- St Andrews Day – Monday 30th November 2026
- Christmas Day – Friday 25th December 2026
- Boxing Day – Monday 28th December 2026 (substitute day)
Are there always 8 Bank Holidays in UK?
Bank Holidays can always be subject to change. The number of Bank Holidays can vary from country to country within the UK. If there are certain events, as we saw with the King’s Coronation in 2022, extra Bank Holidays can also be announced.
Does 28 days holiday include Bank Holidays?
Bank holidays can be included in your minimum holiday entitlement. For the average UK worker who works five days a week, the minimum 5.6 weeks of holiday, equates to 28 days. Some companies stay open on Bank Holidays and others will give their staff more holiday entitlement. Extra days are often awarded depending on the number of years an employee stays with the business.
