There are eight bank holidays for England and Wales in 2026
In 2025, there are only two bank holidays remaining, which are Christmas Day and Boxing Day – December 25 and 26. Due to Boxing Day falling on a Saturday next year, the bank holiday will “move”. The “substitute” bank holiday will be on Monday, December 28, in 2026.
And it’s not just weekends that influence when bank holidays fall, as the ever-changing Easter date also plays a part. As it currently stands, there will be eight bank holidays across England and Wales in 2026, starting with New Year’s Day on January 1.
Good Friday will then fall on Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday on Monday, April 6 – somewhat earlier than the 2025 dates of Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21. Due to the calendar, May’s two bank holidays will each be a day earlier, always falling on a Monday.
In 2026, the Early May bank holiday is May 4, while the Spring bank holiday falls on May 25. The summer bank holiday, typically towards the end of the school summer holidays, will be on Monday, August 31, slightly later than this year’s, which was on August 25.
To round off the year, the Christmas Day bank holiday remains unchanged, falling on Friday, December 25. As mentioned earlier, Boxing Day this year falls on Saturday, December 26, meaning there will be a substitute bank holiday on Monday, December 28.
Bank holidays for England and Wales in 2026
- Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
- Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
- Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
- Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
- Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
- Monday, August 31- Summer bank holiday
- Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)
