UK Bank Holidays 2027: England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The dates below come from the official UK list at gov.uk/bank-holidays, last checked on 21 October 2026. Each nation has its own list, so check the one that applies to where you work.

Bank holidays 2027 in England and Wales

England and Wales share one list of 8 bank holidays. In 2027 both Christmas bank holidays move to the following Monday and Tuesday because 25 December is a Saturday and 26 December is a Sunday.

Bank holidays 2027 in Scotland

Scotland has 9 bank holidays in 2027. Its list differs from England and Wales in four ways:

• 2 January is a bank holiday. In 2027 it falls on a Saturday, so the substitute day is Monday 4 January.
• Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland. Good Friday (26 March) is.
• The summer bank holiday is on the first Monday in August (2 August 2027), not the last.
• St Andrew’s Day (Tuesday 30 November 2027) is a bank holiday.

Many Scottish councils also set local holidays, such as spring and autumn holidays that vary by town. These are not on the gov.uk list, and whether you get them depends on your employer.

Bank holidays 2027 in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2027: the 8 England and Wales dates plus St Patrick’s Day (Wednesday 17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne, also called Orangemen’s Day (Monday 12 July).

How many bank holidays are there in the UK?

The count depends on the nation, not on the year, with one exception in 2026. These figures match the gov.uk list:

Nation	2026	2027	2028
England and Wales	8	8	8
Scotland	10	9	9
Northern Ireland	10	10	10

Scotland’s 2026 total includes a one-off World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026. Without it, Scotland has 9 bank holidays a year, like 2027 and 2028.

May bank holidays 2027

All three nations have two May bank holidays in 2027: the early May bank holiday on Monday 3 May and the spring bank holiday on Monday 31 May. The early May holiday is the first Monday in May and the spring holiday is the last Monday in May.

How substitute days work

When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a weekday is given instead. This is called a substitute day, and it is usually the next Monday. If two bank holidays in a row fall on a weekend, as Christmas Day and Boxing Day do in 2027, the substitute days are the Monday and the Tuesday.

Substitute days in the 2027 and early 2028 lists:

• Christmas Day (Saturday 25 December 2027): substitute day Monday 27 December, all nations.
• Boxing Day (Sunday 26 December 2027): substitute day Tuesday 28 December, all nations.
• 2 January (Saturday 2 January 2027): substitute day Monday 4 January, Scotland only.
• New Year’s Day 2028 (a Saturday): substitute day Monday 3 January 2028, all nations; Scotland’s 2 January moves to Tuesday 4 January 2028.

Working days in 2027 in the UK

2027 has 261 weekdays (Monday to Friday). Take away the bank holidays that fall on a weekday and England and Wales have 253 working days, Scotland has 252 and Northern Ireland has 251. Every date from 1 January to 31 December is counted, and substitute days count as bank holidays.

For other years and countries, see how many working days are in a year and business days in 2027. To count working days between two dates with UK bank holidays removed, use the UK working days calculator and choose England & Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Making your annual leave go further in 2027

Booking leave next to a bank holiday gives you more days off in a row. Each break runs from the first day off to the last, for England and Wales unless stated:

Break	Book off	Days of leave	Days off in a row
Easter (26 March to 4 April)	Tue 30 March to Fri 2 April	4	10
Early May (1 to 9 May)	Tue 4 to Fri 7 May	4	9
Spring (29 May to 6 June)	Tue 1 to Fri 4 June	4	9
Summer (28 August to 5 September)	Tue 31 August to Fri 3 September	4	9
Christmas (25 December 2027 to 3 January 2028)	Wed 29 to Fri 31 December	3	10

In Scotland the Christmas break runs one day longer, to Tuesday 4 January 2028, because 2 January also has a substitute day. Easter in Scotland needs 5 days of leave (Monday 29 March to Friday 2 April) for the same 10-day break, as Easter Monday is not a bank holiday there.

Do you get bank holidays off?

Not automatically. There is no legal right to paid time off on a bank holiday. Almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year (28 days for a five-day week), and an employer can choose to include bank holidays in those 28 days (gov.uk holiday entitlement). Your contract says whether you get bank holidays off and whether they come out of your allowance. Banks, most offices and many public services close; shops and transport often stay open.

Bank holidays 2026

In 2026 England and Wales have 8 bank holidays, Scotland 10 and Northern Ireland 10. Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so its substitute day is Monday 28 December 2026.

Bank holidays 2028

In 2028 England and Wales have 8 bank holidays, Scotland 9 and Northern Ireland 10. New Year’s Day is a Saturday, so the substitute day is Monday 3 January 2028.

Is today a bank holiday or a working day?

• Yes. Friday 23 October 2026 is a business day for England and Wales.
• Yes. Friday 23 October 2026 is a business day for Scotland.
• Yes. Friday 23 October 2026 is a business day for Northern Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

How many bank holidays are there in 2027?

England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2027, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10.

When are the May bank holidays in 2027?

Monday 3 May (early May bank holiday) and Monday 31 May (spring bank holiday), in all parts of the UK.

When are the Christmas bank holidays in 2027?

Christmas Day is a Saturday and Boxing Day a Sunday, so the bank holidays are the substitute days: Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December 2027.

Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland?

No. Good Friday is a bank holiday in Scotland but Easter Monday is not. Scotland has 2 January and St Andrew’s Day instead.

How many working days are there in 2027 in the UK?

253 in England and Wales, 252 in Scotland and 251 in Northern Ireland, counting Monday to Friday and leaving out bank holidays.

Source: UK bank holidays, gov.uk (last checked 21 October 2026). See all holidays on the holidays hub, or the US federal holidays for 2025 to 2030.