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UK Bank Holidays: 2025 vs 2026 Comparison
Cynthia Aliaga
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UK Bank Holidays: 2025 vs 2026 Comparison
Planning ahead for time off? Comparing UK bank holidays in 2025 and 2026 helps you see how the dates line up, whether you’ll get longer weekends, and how many bank holidays there are in each region.
Here we’ve put together a side-by-side comparison of all bank holidays in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland for both years.
For the official government announcement of bank holidays, visit GOV.UK.
How many bank holidays are there in 2025 vs 2026?
Region | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
England & Wales | 8 | 8 |
Scotland | 9 | 9 |
Northern Ireland | 10 | 10 |
England & Wales
2025 Date | Holiday | 2026 Date | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
1 Jan (Wed) | New Year’s Day | 1 Jan (Thu) | New Year’s Day |
18 Apr (Fri) | Good Friday | 3 Apr (Fri) | Good Friday |
21 Apr (Mon) | Easter Monday | 6 Apr (Mon) | Easter Monday |
5 May (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday | 4 May (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday |
26 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday | 25 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday |
25 Aug (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday | 31 Aug (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday |
25 Dec (Thu) | Christmas Day | 25 Dec (Fri) | Christmas Day |
26 Dec (Fri) | Boxing Day | 28 Dec (Mon) | Boxing Day (substitute) |
Scotland
2025 Date | Holiday | 2026 Date | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
1 Jan (Wed) | New Year’s Day | 1 Jan (Thu) | New Year’s Day |
2 Jan (Thu) | 2nd January | 2 Jan (Fri) | 2nd January |
18 Apr (Fri) | Good Friday | 3 Apr (Fri) | Good Friday |
5 May (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday | 4 May (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday |
26 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday | 25 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday |
4 Aug (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday | 3 Aug (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday |
30 Nov (Sun) | St Andrew’s Day | 30 Nov (Mon) | St Andrew’s Day |
25 Dec (Thu) | Christmas Day | 25 Dec (Fri) | Christmas Day |
26 Dec (Fri) | Boxing Day | 28 Dec (Mon) | Boxing Day (substitute) |
Northern Ireland
2025 Date | Holiday | 2026 Date | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
1 Jan (Wed) | New Year’s Day | 1 Jan (Thu) | New Year’s Day |
17 Mar (Mon) | St Patrick’s Day | 17 Mar (Tue) | St Patrick’s Day |
18 Apr (Fri) | Good Friday | 3 Apr (Fri) | Good Friday |
21 Apr (Mon) | Easter Monday | 6 Apr (Mon) | Easter Monday |
5 May (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday | 4 May (Mon) | Early May Bank Holiday |
26 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday | 25 May (Mon) | Spring Bank Holiday |
14 Jul (Mon) | Battle of the Boyne | 13 Jul (Mon) | Battle of the Boyne |
25 Aug (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday | 31 Aug (Mon) | Summer Bank Holiday |
25 Dec (Thu) | Christmas Day | 25 Dec (Fri) | Christmas Day |
26 Dec (Fri) | Boxing Day | 28 Dec (Mon) | Boxing Day (substitute) |
Key differences between 2025 and 2026
Boxing Day → In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, so the substitute day is Monday 28 December (instead of Friday in 2025).
Easter → Easter is later in 2025 (April 18 & 21) than in 2026 (April 3 & 6).
St Andrew’s Day → In 2025 it falls on a Sunday (Scotland), in 2026 on a Monday.
Related Articles
👉 Official dates can always be checked at GOV.UK Bank Holidays.
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