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🇬🇧 United Kingdom Public Holidays 2026

United Kingdom has 6 nationwide public holidays in 2026 — 5 on a weekday and 1 at a weekend. 4 of them fall on a Friday or a Monday, so the weekend beside them runs to three days without using any leave. The full calendar is below, with the date, the weekday and the local name for every holiday, followed by a month-by-month guide to what closes.

Planning around United Kingdom's holidays

On public holidays, banks, government offices and many businesses in the United Kingdom close, and transport may run on reduced schedules. For remote workers, holidays are a good time to explore — but a poor time to rely on local services or official appointments. Check the dates above before booking visa appointments or important meetings.

United Kingdom nomad & visa guide →

Public holidays in other countries

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Is today a public holiday in the United Kingdom?

Checked on Wednesday 5 August 2026: no, that day is not a public holiday in the United Kingdom. The next public holiday in the United Kingdom after that date is Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 — 142 days later. The day after, Thursday 6 August, is not a public holiday either.

The answer above is rechecked against the published United Kingdom holiday dates every time this page loads, so what it says about today and tomorrow stays current.

The next public holidays in the United Kingdom after 5 August 2026:

  • Christmas Day — Friday 25 December 2026
  • Boxing Day (day off Mon 28 Dec) — Saturday 26 December 2026
  • New Year's Day — Friday 1 January 2027
  • Good Friday — Friday 26 March 2027
  • May Day — Monday 3 May 2027

United Kingdom public holidays are also called United Kingdom national holidays or the United Kingdom holiday calendar. This page is the United Kingdom holiday calendar for 2026, with the 2027 dates below.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom's public holidays in 2026 at a glance

United Kingdom has 6 nationwide public holidays in 2026. That puts United Kingdom 97th out of the 100 countries we track. The median across those 100 is 13, so this is a short list. 5 fall on a weekday and 1 on a Saturday or Sunday. The year opens with New Year's Day on 1 January and closes with Boxing Day on 26 December. May is the busiest month with 2. Nothing at all falls in February, March, June, July, August, September, October or November. One substitute day off — the weekday granted when a holiday lands at a weekend — is shown in brackets beside the holiday it replaces, so that day is not counted twice. This list covers holidays observed across the whole country. Many countries add regional or state holidays on top, and whether a given day is paid depends on your employer, so check locally before you book around it.

United Kingdom public holidays in January 2026

New Year's Day on 1 January.

United Kingdom public holidays in February 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in February 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in March 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in March 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in April 2026

Good Friday on 3 April.

United Kingdom public holidays in May 2026

May Day on 4 May and Spring Bank Holiday on 25 May.

United Kingdom public holidays in June 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in June 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in July 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in July 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in August 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in August 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in September 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in September 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in October 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in October 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in November 2026

There are no public holidays in the United Kingdom in November 2026.

United Kingdom public holidays in December 2026

Christmas Day on 25 December and Boxing Day (day off Mon 28 Dec) on 26 December.

Long weekends and bridge days in the United Kingdom in 2026

On 4 occasions in 2026 a United Kingdom holiday lands on a Friday or a Monday, which turns the adjoining weekend into a three-day break with no leave used at all. Another 1 falls exactly one day away from the weekend, so a single day of leave buys four days off.

Every United Kingdom public holiday in 2026

Show the full 2026 calendar as a table
Public holidays in the United Kingdom in 2026
DateDayHolidayLocal name
1 JanuaryThursdayNew Year's DayNew Year's Day
3 AprilFridayGood FridayGood Friday
4 MayMondayMay DayMay Day
25 MayMondaySpring Bank HolidaySpring Bank Holiday
25 DecemberFridayChristmas DayChristmas Day
26 DecemberSaturdayBoxing Day (day off Mon 28 Dec)Boxing Day (day off Mon 28 Dec)

United Kingdom public holidays — common questions

How many public holidays does United Kingdom have in 2026?

United Kingdom has 6 nationwide public holidays in 2026, 5 of which fall on a weekday. The count covers days observed across the whole country; regional and state holidays are not included, and whether a day is paid depends on the employer.

When is the first public holiday of 2026 in the United Kingdom?

It is New Year's Day on 1 January, a Thursday. The last is Boxing Day on 26 December.

Which United Kingdom holidays create a long weekend in 2026?

Good Friday (Friday, 3 April), May Day (Monday, 4 May), Spring Bank Holiday (Monday, 25 May) and Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25 December–26 December) fall on a Friday or a Monday, so the weekend beside them runs to three days without using any leave.

Do businesses close on public holidays in the United Kingdom?

Banks, government offices and schools generally close on national public holidays in the United Kingdom, while shops, restaurants and transport often run reduced hours rather than shutting entirely. If you are working remotely from United Kingdom, expect slower replies from local suppliers and government services on these dates.

United Kingdom public holidays in 2027

The 6 public holidays already published for the United Kingdom in 2027. Dates that depend on a lunar or religious calendar can still be confirmed late, so check locally before booking against them.

What actually closes on a public holiday in United Kingdom

The working week in United Kingdom runs Monday to Friday, with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. On a nationwide public holiday, banks, government offices, schools and most post offices close for the day.

Supermarkets, shopping malls and tourist attractions usually stay open, often on shorter hours, and public transport typically drops to a reduced, weekend-style timetable. Restaurants and hotels generally carry on as normal.

In United Kingdom the official term is a bank holiday — the closure pattern described above is the same.

In 2026, 5 of the 6 public holidays fall on a working day — those are the dates when closures actually affect banks, offices and deliveries. The other 1 land on the weekend, when most of this is closed anyway.

Which 2026 holidays fall on a weekend — and whether United Kingdom moves them

1 of United Kingdom’s 6 public holidays land on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) in 2026:

United Kingdom generally grants a replacement day off when a public holiday falls on the weekend — where an official in-lieu date has been announced, it is already included in the calendar above.

Regional holidays: where United Kingdom’s dates differ

The calendar above covers nationwide holidays only. United Kingdom also has public holidays observed in particular nations — 4 nations add at least one date of their own in 2026. A few examples:

If you are dealing with one specific part of United Kingdom, check that nation’s own calendar as well — banks and offices there close on the regional dates too.

United Kingdom public holidays 2027 — plan ahead

United Kingdom has 6 public holidays in 2027 — the same as in 2026. 4 fall on a working day. The year opens with New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027 and closes with Boxing Day (day off Tue 28 Dec) on Sunday 26 December 2027.

DateDayHoliday
1 January 2027FridayNew Year's Day
26 March 2027FridayGood Friday
3 May 2027MondayMay Day
31 May 2027MondaySpring Bank Holiday
25 December 2027SaturdayChristmas Day (day off Mon 27 Dec)
26 December 2027SundayBoxing Day (day off Tue 28 Dec)

Want this calendar in your own tools? Download it free: CSV · iCal for Google/Apple/Outlook · JSON — or browse the full 100-country dataset. Free under CC BY 4.0.