Every nation in the UK sets its own bank holiday calendar, so “how many bank holidays in 2026” doesn’t have one answer — it depends where you are. Here’s the full picture, nation by nation, with the shared dates first.
Dates every nation shares
- New Year’s Day — Thursday 1 January
- Good Friday — Friday 3 April
- Early May Bank Holiday — Monday 4 May
- Spring Bank Holiday — Monday 25 May
- Christmas Day — Friday 25 December
- Boxing Day (substitute) — Monday 28 December, because 26 December itself falls on a Saturday
That’s six holidays common to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Everything past that point is where the nations diverge.
Where each nation adds its own
| Holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter Monday (6 Apr) | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| 2 January | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| St Patrick’s Day (17 Mar) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Battle of the Boyne (13 Jul, substitute) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Summer Bank Holiday | 31 Aug | 3 Aug | 31 Aug |
| St Andrew’s Day (30 Nov) | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Add it up and England/Wales land on 8, Scotland on 9, and Northern Ireland on 10 — the most of any UK nation, since it observes Easter Monday like England and Wales and its own two local holidays.
Why the differences exist
England and Wales’ calendar comes from the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. Scotland’s bank holidays are set by the Scottish Government rather than Westminster, which is why Scotland trades Easter Monday for 2 January — a second day to recover from Hogmanay — and adds St Andrew’s Day. Northern Ireland’s calendar layers two locally significant dates, St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne, on top of the England-and-Wales list.
One nuance worth knowing: the dates above are the statutory bank holidays that banks and government offices close for, but many Scottish local authorities and individual employers also grant separate local holidays that vary by area — so an individual’s actual days off can differ slightly from this national list.
Substitute days, explained
Under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act, if a fixed-date holiday falls on a weekend, the next working day becomes the substitute instead. In 2026 this only affects Christmas: Boxing Day (26 December) is a Saturday, so Monday 28 December becomes the substitute. Northern Ireland’s Battle of the Boyne holiday works the same way — 12 July 2026 is a Sunday, so it’s observed on Monday 13 July.
For the deep dive on any single nation or holiday, see our dedicated guides for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.