Overview
- England and Wales bank holidays in 2026 fall on 1 Jan, 3 Apr, 6 Apr, 4 May, 25 May, 31 Aug, 25 Dec and 28 Dec.
- Boxing Day lands on a Saturday in 2026, so Monday 28 December is the official substitute bank holiday.
- Scotland’s 2026 calendar includes additional dates of 2 January, 3 August and 30 November alongside the UK-wide holidays.
- The Independent reports that, under an assumption of a 28-day annual leave allowance on top of bank holidays, careful planning could total up to 63 days off.
- Example booking plans include 16 consecutive days at Easter by taking 30 Mar–2 Apr and 7–10 Apr, and 16 days over Christmas to New Year by taking 21–24 Dec and 29–31 Dec, leveraging the 25 Dec and 28 Dec bank holidays plus 1 Jan 2027.