UK Bank Holidays 2027: Full List and the Best Days to Book Leave
Last updated: 21 October 2026
England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2027, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10. Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2027 fall on a weekend, so the days off move to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. Here are all the bank holidays 2027 dates for each part of the UK, plus the ones left in 2026.
Bank holidays 2027 in England and Wales
Here’s what you need to know:
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Friday | New Year’s Day |
| 26 March | Friday | Good Friday |
| 29 March | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 3 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 31 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 30 August | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| 27 December | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| 28 December | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Bank holidays 2027 in Scotland
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Friday | New Year’s Day |
| 4 January | Monday | 2nd January (substitute day) |
| 26 March | Friday | Good Friday |
| 3 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 31 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 2 August | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| 30 November | Tuesday | St Andrew’s Day |
| 27 December | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| 28 December | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Bank holidays 2027 in Northern Ireland
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Friday | New Year’s Day |
| 17 March | Wednesday | St Patrick’s Day |
| 26 March | Friday | Good Friday |
| 29 March | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 3 May | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| 31 May | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| 12 July | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) |
| 30 August | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| 27 December | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| 28 December | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
Remaining bank holidays in 2026
- Monday 30 November 2026: St Andrew’s Day (Scotland only)
- Friday 25 December 2026: Christmas Day (all UK)
- Monday 28 December 2026: Boxing Day substitute day (all UK, because 26 December is a Saturday)
How to make the most of your 2027 annual leave
- Easter: book 4 days (30 March – 2 April) around Good Friday and Easter Monday to get 10 days off in a row (26 March – 4 April).
- Late May: book 4 days (1–4 June) after the Spring bank holiday to get 9 days off (29 May – 6 June), which lines up with many schools’ half-term.
- Christmas: book 3 days (29–31 December) to be off from Saturday 25 December to Sunday 2 January 2028 New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday, so a substitute bank holiday on Monday 3 January 2028 would make it 10 days off. Check GOV.UK for the confirmed 2028 dates.
Are shops open on bank holidays?
Most shops open as normal on bank holiday Mondays, though some have shorter hours. There are two important exceptions in England and Wales:
- Christmas Day: large shops (over 280 square metres, roughly the size of a supermarket) are not allowed to open by law.
- Easter Sunday: large shops must also stay closed. In 2027 Easter Sunday is 28 March.
Smaller convenience stores and petrol station shops can usually open. On Boxing Day and other bank holidays, opening hours vary, so check your local store before you travel.
Banks, payments and benefits on bank holidays
- Bank transfers: Faster Payments usually still go through. Some other payments (such as cheques and Bacs transfers) are processed on the next working day.
- Salaries: if your payday falls on a bank holiday, many employers pay you on the working day before. Check with your payroll team.
- Benefits and State Pension: when a payment date falls on a bank holiday, DWP normally pays earlier, on the working day before. This is especially important around Christmas, when payments can arrive several days early. Budget carefully for the longer gap until the next payment.
- Bills: direct debits due on a bank holiday are usually taken on the next working day.
Bank holiday rights at work
Bank holidays can be part of the minimum 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave most workers are entitled to. For someone working five days a week, that’s 28 days. Your employer can include bank holidays in this total, so check your contract to see whether you get them on top.
- Part-time workers are entitled to the same leave on a pro-rata basis. If your normal working days don’t include Mondays, you shouldn’t lose out because most bank holidays fall on a Monday.
- Working on a bank holiday: there’s no legal right to extra pay (“time and a half”). It depends on your contract.
- Shift workers and the NHS: many have special arrangements, so check your employer’s policy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get paid for bank holidays?
There’s no legal right to paid leave on bank holidays. Many employers include them in your statutory 5.6 weeks’ annual leave. Check your contract.
Why is Christmas 2027 a substitute day?
When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a weekday is usually given instead. In 2027, 25 and 26 December are a Saturday and Sunday, so Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December are the bank holidays.
Are there any extra bank holidays in 2027?
No extra bank holidays 2027 dates have been announced so far. Extra holidays are sometimes added for national events. We’ll update this page if that happens.
Source: GOV.UK – UK bank holidays.
The bank holidays 2027 dates above come from GOV.UK and can change if an extra holiday is announced. Related: When do the clocks go back? · Self Assessment deadline 31 January 2027 · Energy price cap October 2026
