Public holidays in United Kingdom 2026

There are 7 nationwide public holidays in 2026. Another 9 apply only in some nations – the table shows where. The exact list for each nation is on its own page.

Download calendar file (.ics) For Outlook, Google Calendar and Apple Calendar; all-day events.

7 national and 9 regional holidays in 2026

DateWeekdayHolidayApplies inCountdown
ThursdayNew Year's Daynationwide
FridayNew Year HolidayScotland
TuesdaySaint Patrick's DayNorthern Ireland
FridayGood Fridaynationwide
MondayEaster MondayEngland, Northern Ireland, Wales
MondayMay Daynationwide
MondaySpring Bank Holidaynationwide
MondayScotland's participation in the FIFA World Cup finalScotland
SundayBattle of the BoyneNorthern Ireland
MondayBattle of the Boyne (observed)Northern Ireland
MondaySummer Bank HolidayScotland
MondayLate Summer Bank HolidayEngland, Northern Ireland, Wales
MondaySaint Andrew's DayScotland
FridayChristmas Daynationwide
SaturdayBoxing Daynationwide
MondayBoxing Day (observed)nationwide

Days marked "observed" are substitute days off when a holiday falls on a weekend. Holidays based on a lunar calendar can shift by a day once the official announcement is made.

Public holidays by nation

nationpublic holidayson Mon–Fri
Public holidays 2026 England98
Public holidays 2026 Northern Ireland1210
Public holidays 2026 Scotland1110
Public holidays 2026 Wales98

Long weekends 2026

6 times a public holiday lies close to a weekend – with a little leave it becomes a long weekend: (nationwide)

Take leaveOffDays of leaveDays offRatioOccasion
Fri 2 Jan1 Jan – 4 Jan 2026144New Year's Day
Mon 30 Mar, Tue 31 Mar, Wed 1 Apr, Thu 2 Apr28 Mar – 5 Apr 2026492.3Good Friday
Tue 5 May, Wed 6 May, Thu 7 May, Fri 8 May2 May – 10 May 2026492.3May Day
Tue 26 May, Wed 27 May, Thu 28 May, Fri 29 May23 May – 31 May 2026492.3Spring Bank Holiday
Mon 21 Dec, Tue 22 Dec, Wed 23 Dec, Thu 24 Dec19 Dec – 28 Dec 20264102.5Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Boxing Day (observed)
Tue 29 Dec, Wed 30 Dec, Thu 31 Dec25 Dec – 3 Jan 20273103.3Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Boxing Day (observed), New Year's Day

Counted are gaps of up to four working days between a public holiday and the weekend or another public holiday. "Ratio" = days off per day of leave. Weekends follow the local working week.

Dates are generated from the open-source library python-holidays and automatically cross-checked against Nager.Date and the public Google Calendar holiday calendars; every holiday on a working day must be confirmed by a second source. Official announcements take precedence, especially for holidays that depend on the moon or are declared at short notice.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays does United Kingdom have in 2026?

7 nationwide holidays, plus 9 that apply only in some nations. One of them falls on a weekend in 2026.

What is the next public holiday in United Kingdom?

As of 9 Nov 2026, the next nationwide holiday is Christmas Day on Friday, 25 Dec 2026.

Which public holiday gives the best long weekend in 2026?

New Year's Day: take 1 day of leave (2 Jan) and you get 4 days off in a row, 1 Jan – 4 Jan 2026.

Which nation has the most public holidays in 2026?

Northern Ireland with 12; England and Wales have the fewest with 9.

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