If you’ve recently moved to the UK, you’ll soon notice that bank holidays affect everyday life. Schools close, banks pause payments, and even supermarkets may shorten their hours. While in some countries holidays are always tied to local cultural observances, UK bank holidays are government-set and happen nationwide.
For immigrants in the UK, these dates can impact important plans, like sending money, visiting family, or joining community events. At Remitly, we know this matters when you’re building a life abroad. So we’ve put together a guide to all UK bank holidays in 2025 and 2026 to help you plan ahead.
England and Wales bank holidays
Bank holidays haven’t always been about long weekends and shopping sales. The first official ones popped up in 1871, thanks to the Bank Holidays Act. Originally, they were designed to give bankers time to sort out their accounts. But over time, they turned into nationwide days off for everyone, and now they’re a big part of UK culture.
If you’re living in England or Wales, you’ll be working with the same holiday calendar. You’ll want to circle these dates in your diary if you’re planning trips, family visits, or even just a well-earned lie-in.
UK bank holiday calendar 2025–2026 (England and Wales)
| Year | Date | Holiday |
| 2025 | 1st January (Wednesday) | New Year’s Day |
| 18th April (Friday) | Good Friday | |
| 21st April (Monday) | Easter Monday | |
| 5th May (Monday) | Early May bank holiday | |
| 26th May (Monday) | Spring bank holiday | |
| 25th August (Monday) | Summer bank holiday | |
| 25th December (Thursday) | Christmas Day | |
| 26th December (Friday) | Boxing Day | |
| 2026 | 1st January (Thursday) | New Year’s Day |
| 3rd April (Friday) | Good Friday | |
| 6th April (Monday) | Easter Monday | |
| 4th May (Monday) | Early May bank holiday | |
| 25th May (Monday) | Spring bank holiday | |
| 31st August (Monday) | Summer bank holiday | |
| 25th December (Friday) | Christmas Day | |
| 28th December (Monday) | Boxing Day (substitute) |
How official bank holidays are celebrated
UK public holidays often come with unique traditions that are especially fun to dive into if you’ve just moved to the country.
- Easter (Good Friday and Easter Monday): Families gather, children enjoy Easter egg hunts, and shops overflow with chocolate eggs and hot cross buns.
- Early May bank holiday: Originally linked to labour rights, it’s now known for May Day fairs, village fetes, and Morris dancing in some towns.
- Spring bank holiday (late May): This holiday often kicks off the summer festival season, with families heading to the seaside or taking short breaks.
- Summer bank holiday (late August): With the best chance for sunny weather, this summer long weekend is popular for music festivals and outdoor events.
- Christmas Day (25th December): Christmas is the UK’s biggest holiday, with gift exchanges, family dinners, and festive TV specials. Almost everything shuts down.
- Boxing Day (26th December): This is usually a quieter day with family walks and football matches, though it’s also become famous for big shopping sales.
Other cultural dates that people still celebrate
Not everything shows up on the official bank holiday list—there are a few other big cultural moments you’ll notice during the year. Across the UK, many people celebrate Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) in February or March by making pancakes before Lent begins.
Mother’s Day in March and Father’s Day in June are big days for UK families. On Mother’s Day, also known as Mothering Sunday in the UK, families treat mums to cards, flowers, and meals out. Father’s Day is similar, but for dads.
While originally more popular in the US, Halloween is growing in popularity in the UK. Look out for costume parties, pumpkin carving, and trick-or-treating on 31st October. Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes night) follows close after, on 5th November, celebrating the foiled Gunpowder Plot of 1605. It is celebrated with fireworks, bonfires, and sometimes parades.
Another important autumn date is 11th November, Remembrance Day, when Brits honour those who served in the armed forces by holding two minutes of silence at 11 am.
If you live in Wales, you’ll celebrate St David’s Day on 1st March. Wales’ national day is celebrated with parades, daffodils, leeks, and school events. You’ll see lots of Welsh flags flying proudly.
Scotland bank holidays 2025–2026
Scotland follows its own calendar, with a couple of extra days that make life here feel a little different from England and Wales.
Scotland bank holiday dates
| Year | Date | Holiday |
| 2025 | 1st January (Wednesday) | New Year’s Day |
| 2nd January (Thursday) | (the day after New Year’s Day) | |
| 18th April (Friday) | Good Friday | |
| 21st April (Monday) | Easter Monday | |
| 5th May (Monday) | Early May bank holiday | |
| 26th May (Monday) | Spring bank holiday | |
| 4th August (Monday) | Summer bank holiday | |
| 1st December observed 2nd Dec (Monday) | St. Andrew’s Day (substitute) | |
| 25th December (Thursday) | Christmas Day | |
| 26th December (Friday) | Boxing Day | |
| 2026 | 1st January (Thursday) | New Year’s Day |
| 2nd January (Friday) | (the day after New Year’s Day) | |
| 3rd April (Friday) | Good Friday | |
| 6th April (Monday) | Easter Monday | |
| 4th May (Monday) | Early May bank holiday | |
| 25th May (Monday) | Spring bank holiday | |
| 3rd August (Monday) | Summer bank holiday | |
| 30th November (Monday) | St. Andrew’s Day | |
| 25th December (Thursday) | Christmas Day | |
| 28th December (Monday) | Boxing Day (substitute) |
How official bank holidays are celebrated
The Scottish bank holidays in the calendar come with their own traditions.
- 2nd January: A recovery day after Hogmanay, this day is often spent visiting family and friends.
- Early May and Spring bank holidays: Many Scots take advantage of these long weekends to enjoy nature, visit family in other areas, or attend local festivals.
- Summer bank holiday (first Monday in August): Note that this bank holiday is celebrated earlier than the summer bank holiday in England/Wales. It is a weekend of highland games, fairs, and outdoor events.
- St Andrew’s Day (30th November): On Scotland’s national day, look out for ceilidhs (traditional dances), parades, and cultural festivals.
- Christmas and Boxing Day: Much like the rest of the UK, but with local twists like ceilidh dancing and Hogmanay carryover.
- Hogmanay (31st December–1st January): Scots ring in the New Year with street parties, fireworks, and singing “Auld Lang Syne.” The Hogmanay festival in Edinburgh draws visitors from all over the world.
Other cultural highlights
While they aren’t official bank holidays, Scotland has some other important cultural traditions that you won’t want to miss out on if you’re relocating there or visiting in the right season. Burns Night on 25th January is celebrated with haggis, whisky, and poetry readings in honour of poet Robert Burns. The Beltane Fire Festival is a revived pagan tradition that takes centre stage in Edinburgh from 30th April to 1st May with fire performances, drumming, and parades. And Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival brings internationally renowned performers together for one of the world’s largest arts festivals.
Northern Ireland bank holidays 2025–2026
Northern Ireland has its own mix of holidays, blending the UK-wide dates with cultural and historical ones unique to the region. If you’re travelling between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, remember that holidays don’t always line up.
Northern Ireland bank holiday dates
| Year | Date | Holiday |
| 2025 | 1st January (Wednesday) | New Year’s Day |
| 17th March (Monday) | St. Patrick’s Day | |
| 18th April (Friday) | Good Friday | |
| 21st April (Monday) | Easter Monday | |
| 5th May (Monday) | Early May bank holiday | |
| 26th May (Monday) | Spring bank holiday | |
| 14th July (Monday) | Battle of the Boyne (substitute) | |
| 25th August (Monday) | Summer bank holiday | |
| 25th December (Thursday) | Christmas Day | |
| 26th December (Friday) | Boxing Day | |
| 2026 | 1st January (Thursday) | New Year’s Day |
| 17th March (Tuesday) | St. Patrick’s Day | |
| 3rd April (Friday) | Good Friday | |
| 6th April (Monday) | Easter Monday | |
| 4th May (Monday) | Early May bank holiday | |
| 25th May (Monday) | Spring bank holiday | |
| 13th July (Monday) | Battle of the Boyne (substitute) | |
| 31st August (Monday) | Summer bank holiday | |
| 25th December (Thursday) | Christmas Day | |
| 28th December (Monday) | Boxing Day (substitute) |
How official bank holidays are celebrated
- St Patrick’s Day: While it’s celebrated worldwide, in Northern Ireland this holiday is especially vibrant, with city-wide parades, cultural events, and public celebrations. In Belfast, the parade is one of the biggest events of the year.
- Easter: Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays here. Traditions include church services, family gatherings, and Easter eggs for children.
- Battle of the Boyne (July): Observed with Orange Order parades, bonfires, and community gatherings, this marks a significant date in Northern Irish history.
- Summer bank holiday (late August): This long weekend is an opportunity for family trips, local fairs, and community festivals before autumn begins.
- Christmas and Boxing Day: Like elsewhere in the UK, these are family-centred holidays with church services, festive meals, and markets.
Cultural moments worth knowing
Northern Ireland has its own unique holidays tied to its history and traditions. At Easter, some areas hold Easter Rising commemorations—cultural events and memorials tied to Ireland’s history.
Halloween actually has its origins in the Irish pagan festival of Samhain, celebrated from 31 October to 1 November. The event has become especially big in Derry/Londonderry, which hosts one of Europe’s largest Halloween festivals, with parades and fireworks.
Tips for planning your year
Bank holidays are a chance to recharge, travel, or spend time with loved ones. Plan ahead to make the most of your days off—and ensure that the bank closures don’t interfere with any urgent money transfers or financial needs.
Keep in mind that in addition to the dates above, some local councils declare extra “fair days” or local holidays that only apply to their area. These can close schools and businesses for a day, so it’s always worth checking your council’s website if you’ve got appointments or travel planned.
Everyday life on a bank holiday
Daily life slows down on bank holidays. Banks and GP surgeries close, and supermarkets often run shorter hours. Even buses and trains switch to Sunday schedules.
However, transportation use tends to spike around bank holidays. Trains, buses, and planes can be packed or even overbooked. Ticket prices shoot up fast, so booking flights, trains, and hotels early can save money. If you’re staying local, consider day trips or budget-friendly “staycations” to coastal towns or national parks.
Making the most of your bank holiday
The Early May, Spring, and Summer bank holidays create long weekends that line up with school breaks. These are perfect for family visits, making the most of British traditions or even short trips home without using too much annual leave.
However, there’s no legal right to a paid day off on bank holidays. Some people work bank holidays and get extra pay, while others simply have the day off, depending on the type of job you have, your work contract and the company you work for.
How bank holidays affect money transfers
Bank holidays don’t just change opening hours; they also influence how quickly money moves. When UK banks are closed, transfers that rely on clearing systems may pause until the next working day. This is especially important to know if you’re covering urgent expenses abroad.
Many immigrants send money to family abroad during holiday seasons—for example, to help pay for Christmas gifts, Lunar New Year celebrations, Eid observances, or summer trips. Around bank holidays, transfers can take longer, so sending two to three days early is the safest option.
Sending money with Remitly is another way to avoid delays. As a digital-first remittance company, our transfers are less affected by bank closures, giving you peace of mind that your support will reach your family when they need it most.
FAQs
What happens to money transfers during UK bank holidays?
They may take longer because banks and clearing systems pause. Sending early avoids delays.
Do bank holidays affect international money transfer times?
Yes, especially if the receiving country is also on holiday. Transfers may take longer to complete.
Which UK bank holidays are observed across all regions?
New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Early May, Spring, Summer, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day are UK-wide.
How far in advance should I plan money transfers around holidays?
Sending two to three business days early usually ensures your money arrives on time.
Are there any changes to bank holidays in 2025 or 2026?
No new national holidays have been announced yet. Sometimes the government adds one-off holidays for special events, so keep an eye on announcements.