Bank holiday changes as Boxing Day moves and extra days are added

Bank Holiday dates are set to shift across the UK in 2026 and 2027, with three 'substitute days' planned. While there will be eight bank holidays in the UK in 2025, these will not all fall on the same dates in the subsequent two years following.

This year, the upcoming nationwide are scheduled for next week Monday, May 5, as well as Monday, May 26, and on December 25 and December 26. The Battle of the Boyne bank holiday for Northern Ireland is slated for Monday, July 14, while Scotland's Summer bank holiday falls on Monday, August 4.

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The rest of the UK, specifically England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will mark this year's Summer bank holiday on Monday, August 25. Only will observe the St Andrew's Day bank holiday on Monday, December 1.

In 2026, most of the dates will stay largely the same. Across the UK, we'll have days off on January 1, followed by a long Easter weekend with days off on April 3 for Good Friday and April 6 for Easter Monday.

UK-wide days off will also take place on May 4, May 25, August 31 and December 25 - Day, reports .

However, Day, December 26, won't be a bank holiday next year as it lands on a Saturday. Instead, an additional substitute day off will be granted on December 28.

Moving into 2027, there will once again be a day off on January 1. The Easter 2027 bank holiday dates are set for March 26 and March 29, with further days off on May 3, May 31, and August 30.

We're gearing up for a festive double treat as the Christmas Day and Boxing Day bank holidays are set for a calendar twist. With December 25, 2027 landing on a Saturday and December 26 on a Sunday, brace yourselves for an extended celebration with two extra days off – the bank holidays will roll over to December 27 and December 28.

Bank holidays in the UK are all about giving the workforce a rest to revel in important national celebrations, religious occasions and time-honoured traditions.

The term "bank holiday" harks back to times when financial institutions would close down, prompting an almost universal pause in work across various trades.

The Bank Holidays Act of 1871, a handy bit of legislation introduced by Sir John Lubbock, formalised these downtime days. Before Sir John stepped in, it was just the major church celebrations like Christmas and Easter that got the official nod.

Thanks to Lubbock's foresight, workers in England, Wales and Ireland found themselves with some much-needed additional respite.

These days, the UK's bank holiday calendar is stitched together from statutory law, regal decrees and customs that have stood the test of time.

Every once in a while, we're treated to special one-off bank holidays to commemorate grand national events – think Royal weddings or landmark jubilees.