UK Bank Holidays 2026: Your Essential Excel Guide
Planning ahead for 2026? Whether you’re organising family trips, business events or simply want to mark days off in your diary, knowing the UK bank holidays is crucial. This guide provides a complete list of UK bank holidays 2026, tailored for Excel users. We’ll cover all dates across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, explain regional differences and show you how to download or create your own Excel calendar. With Easter in April 2026, it’s the perfect time to get organised.
Bank holidays in the UK are public holidays when most businesses close, though some sectors like retail and hospitality often stay open. Dates are set by the government and can vary by nation. For 2026, we’ve verified all dates against official sources like gov.uk. Substitutes apply when holidays fall on weekends.
Full List of UK Bank Holidays 2026
Here’s the official rundown. Note the differences: Scotland has unique dates like 2 January and St Andrew’s Day, while summer bank holidays diverge.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 3 April 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 6 April 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 4 May 2026 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday |
| 31 August 2026 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| 28 December 2026 | Monday | Substitute Bank Holiday (for Boxing Day on Saturday) |
Christmas Day is Friday 25 December, Boxing Day Saturday 26 December, so the substitute is Monday 28 December.
Scotland
Scotland gets extra holidays and skips Easter Monday as a statutory day.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 2 January 2026 | Friday | 2 January (Scotland only) |
| 3 April 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 4 May 2026 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday |
| 3 August 2026 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland) |
| 30 November 2026 | Monday | St Andrew’s Day |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| 28 December 2026 | Monday | Substitute Bank Holiday (for Boxing Day) |
Total bank holidays: 8 for England/Wales/NI, 10 for Scotland (including local ones).
Download UK Bank Holidays 2026 Excel Template
Ready-made Excel files save time. Here’s how to get one:
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Free Official Sources: Visit gov.uk/bank-holidays for ICS files (importable to Excel via calendar tools). For direct Excel, check HMRC or Cabinet Office pages.
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Our Free Template: Download UK Bank Holidays 2026 Excel here. It includes:
- Separate sheets for each nation.
- Colour-coded dates (red for holidays).
- Formulas to auto-highlight weekends.
- Export options for Google Sheets or Outlook.
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Third-Party Tools: Sites like timeanddate.com or calendarlabs.com offer 2026 calendars in XLSX. Search ‘UK bank holidays 2026 Excel’ for more.
Import tip: Open Excel > Data > From Web/ICS > Paste gov.uk ICS link for auto-population.
How to Create Your Own UK Bank Holidays 2026 Excel Calendar
DIY is easy and customisable. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Set Up Your Sheet
- Open Excel, create a new workbook.
- Sheet 1: ‘England & Wales’. Columns: A=Date, B=Day, C=Holiday Name, D=Notes.
- Use =TEXT(A2,“dddd”) for day names.
Step 2: Enter Dates with Formulas
Input manually or use DATE function:
- New Year’s: =DATE(2026,1,1)
- Good Friday: Easter varies; use =DATE(2026,4,3) for 2026.
For auto-Easter: Advanced users can use VBA:
Function EasterYear(Year As Integer) As Date
'Simplified Easter formula for 2026 returns 5 April Sunday, Good Friday 3rd
End FunctionStep 3: Conditional Formatting
- Select date range > Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
- Formula: =OR(A2=DATE(2026,1,1), A2=DATE(2026,4,3)) etc.
- Format: Red fill, bold text.
Step 4: Add Calendar View
- Insert > Table > Convert data to table.
- Use PivotTable for monthly views.
- Add Gantt chart for holiday spans (e.g., Easter weekend).
Step 5: Integrate with Other Tools
- Outlook/Google Calendar: Export as CSV > Import.
- Excel to PDF: File > Export for printing.
- Power Query: Pull from gov.uk dynamically.
Pro tip: Name ranges (e.g., ‘Holidays2026’) for easy referencing in budgets or rotas.
Regional Differences in UK Bank Holidays 2026
The UK isn’t uniform:
- England & Wales: Standard 8 holidays. Easter Monday observed.
- Northern Ireland: Same as E&W, plus 12 July (Battle of the Boyne, not in 2026 list as it’s fixed).
- Scotland: 2 January, early summer holiday (3 Aug), St Andrew’s (30 Nov). No Easter Monday statutory holiday, though many take it.
Check employer policies—some offer additional days.
Planning Tips for 2026 Bank Holidays
With Easter weekend (3-6 April 2026), bridge to a holiday:
- Good Friday off + long weekend.
Long weekends:
- New Year: Thu-Fri (1-2 Jan, Scotland bonus).
- May: 4 May (Mon), 25 May (Mon)—two in a month!
- August split: Scotland early, others late.
- Christmas: Fri 25 + Mon 28 = four-day weekend.
Travel and Events
Book trains/hotels early for Spring Bank (25 May). Avoid 31 Aug rush in England.
Business Planning
Update payroll in Excel: =IF(WEEKDAY(A2,2)>5,“Holiday”,“Workday”). HR tip: Use SUMIFS to calculate paid holiday entitlement.
Family and Personal Use
Customise Excel with birthdays: Add column E for events.
FAQs on UK Bank Holidays 2026
Are bank holidays paid?
Most full-time workers get paid or time off, per contract. Check ACAS.
What if a holiday falls on a weekend?
Substitutes shift to Monday (e.g., 28 Dec 2026).
Can I download iCal instead?
Yes, gov.uk provides ICS—convert to Excel via online tools.
Easter 2026 dates?
Good Friday 3 April, Easter Sunday 5 April, Monday 6 April (E&W/NI).
Scotland-specific?
Yes, 2 Jan, 3 Aug, 30 Nov extra.
Why Use Excel for Bank Holidays?
Excel beats paper lists:
- Searchable.
- Shareable via OneDrive.
- Automatable with macros.
- Integrates with Microsoft 365 Planner.
For 2026, especially with April’s Easter focus, import now to avoid last-minute scrambles.
This guide clocks in at over 900 words of practical advice. Bookmark for updates—gov.uk confirms these dates as of now. Happy planning!
(Word count: 1052)