Overview
- The government published the 2026 bank holiday calendar on X, confirming eight days for England and Wales, nine for Scotland and 10 for Northern Ireland.
- England and Wales dates include New Year’s Day on January 1, Good Friday on April 3, Easter Monday on April 6, and a Boxing Day substitute on Monday, December 28.
- TargetJobs’ planning examples show workers could secure up to 63 days off in 2026 by strategically using 28 days of annual leave.
- A widely shared alternative plan outlines 53 days off using 23 leave days by booking around Easter, the two May bank holidays, late August and the festive period.
- These strategies assume a Monday–Friday schedule with bank holidays off and require employer approval, and some readers criticised the long summer gap in England and Wales.