Leave HackerJoin the betaBank holidays 2026 in England and Wales
England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026. The best value is Easter: book 1 day and get 5 days off in a row. For a proper break, Christmas is the one: book 3 days, get 10 off.
All 8 bank holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday |
| 6 April | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 4 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 25 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 31 August | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day |
| 28 December | Monday | Boxing Day substitute day |
Boxing Day (26 December) falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
Add them to your calendar with gov.uk's England and Wales calendar file.
The days to book around each bank holiday
Each break below runs from the first day off to the last, weekends included. Only days of leave that buy at least two days off each are listed.
New Year’s Day: book 1 day, get 4 off
New Year’s Day on Thursday 1 January.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 2 Jan | 1 to 4 Jan |
| 2 | 5 | Fri 2 Jan and Mon 5 Jan | 1 to 5 Jan |
| 3 | 6 | Fri 2 Jan and Mon 5 to Tue 6 Jan | 1 to 6 Jan |
Easter: book 1 day, get 5 off
Good Friday on Friday 3 April and Easter Monday on Monday 6 April.
Book 1 day, get 5 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Thu 2 Apr | 2 to 6 Apr |
| 2 | 6 | Wed 1 to Thu 2 Apr | 1 to 6 Apr |
| 3 | 7 | Tue 31 Mar to Thu 2 Apr | 31 Mar to 6 Apr |
| 4 | 10 | Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr | 28 Mar to 6 Apr |
| 5 | 11 | Fri 27 Mar and Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr | 27 Mar to 6 Apr |
| 6 | 12 | Thu 26 to Fri 27 Mar and Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr | 26 Mar to 6 Apr |
| 8 | 16 | Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr and Tue 7 to Fri 10 Apr | 28 Mar to 12 Apr |
Early May bank holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
Early May bank holiday on Monday 4 May.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 1 May | 1 to 4 May |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 30 Apr to Fri 1 May | 30 Apr to 4 May |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 29 Apr to Fri 1 May | 29 Apr to 4 May |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 5 to Fri 8 May | 2 to 10 May |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 27 Apr to Fri 1 May | 25 Apr to 4 May |
Spring bank holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
Spring bank holiday on Monday 25 May.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 22 May | 22 to 25 May |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 21 to Fri 22 May | 21 to 25 May |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 20 to Fri 22 May | 20 to 25 May |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 26 to Fri 29 May | 23 to 31 May |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 18 to Fri 22 May | 16 to 25 May |
Summer bank holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
Summer bank holiday on Monday 31 August.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 28 Aug | 28 to 31 Aug |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 27 to Fri 28 Aug | 27 to 31 Aug |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 26 to Fri 28 Aug | 26 to 31 Aug |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 1 to Fri 4 Sep | 29 Aug to 6 Sep |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 24 to Fri 28 Aug | 22 to 31 Aug |
Christmas: book 1 day, get 5 off
Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and Boxing Day on Monday 28 December (substitute day).
Book 1 day, get 5 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Thu 24 Dec | 24 to 28 Dec |
| 2 | 6 | Wed 23 to Thu 24 Dec | 23 to 28 Dec |
| 3 | 10 | Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 25 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 4 | 11 | Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 24 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 5 | 12 | Wed 23 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 23 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 6 | 13 | Tue 22 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 22 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 7 | 16 | Mon 21 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 19 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 8 | 17 | Fri 18 Dec, Mon 21 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 18 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 9 | 18 | Thu 17 to Fri 18 Dec, Mon 21 to Thu 24 Dec and Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec | 17 Dec to 3 Jan |
Questions
How many bank holidays are there in 2026 in England and Wales?
8: New Year’s Day (Thu 1 Jan), Good Friday (Fri 3 Apr), Easter Monday (Mon 6 Apr), Early May bank holiday (Mon 4 May), Spring bank holiday (Mon 25 May), Summer bank holiday (Mon 31 Aug), Christmas Day (Fri 25 Dec) and Boxing Day (Mon 28 Dec).
When is Easter 2026?
Good Friday is Friday 3 April 2026 and Easter Sunday is Sunday 5 April. Easter Monday, Monday 6 April, is a bank holiday in England and Wales too.
What happens when a bank holiday falls at a weekend?
You get a substitute day, usually the next weekday. In 2026: Boxing Day (26 December) falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
How do I get the most days off in 2026?
Book the working days between a bank holiday and a weekend. In England and Wales the best value is Easter: book Thu 2 Apr for 5 days off. The best long break is Christmas: book 3 days (Tue 29 to Thu 31 Dec) for 10 days off.
Do I get bank holidays off on top of my annual leave?
Not always. Full-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year (28 days for a five-day week), and employers can count bank holidays as part of it. Your contract says which. See gov.uk on holiday entitlement.