UK Bank Holidays 2027: Full List of Dates for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

England and Wales have eight bank holidays in 2027, starting with New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January. Easter is early in 2027, with Good Friday on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March. Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend, so the bank holidays move to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. Scotland has nine bank holidays and Northern Ireland has ten. By booking leave around bank holidays, you can turn 24 days of annual leave into 57 days off in 2027.

---

Planning a holiday, a long weekend away or simply some time off in the new year? The first step is knowing when the bank holidays fall.

UK bank holidays 2027 bring an early Easter, a long Christmas break and plenty of chances to stretch your annual leave further. Because Christmas Day and Boxing Day both fall on a weekend, there will be substitute bank holidays on the Monday and Tuesday after.

Here is the full list of UK bank holidays 2027 for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, plus the best ways to book your leave and get more days off.

UK Bank Holidays 2027: England and Wales

Bank holiday	Date	Day
New Year’s Day	1 January	Friday
Good Friday	26 March	Friday
Easter Monday	29 March	Monday
Early May bank holiday	3 May	Monday
Spring bank holiday	31 May	Monday
Summer bank holiday	30 August	Monday
Christmas Day (substitute day)	27 December	Monday
Boxing Day (substitute day)	28 December	Tuesday

That makes eight bank holidays in England and Wales in 2027, the standard number for most years.

You can check the official list on the GOV.UK bank holidays page.

UK Bank Holidays 2027: Scotland

Bank holiday	Date	Day
New Year’s Day	1 January	Friday
2nd January (substitute day)	4 January	Monday
Good Friday	26 March	Friday
Early May bank holiday	3 May	Monday
Spring bank holiday	31 May	Monday
Summer bank holiday	2 August	Monday
St Andrew’s Day	30 November	Tuesday
Christmas Day (substitute day)	27 December	Monday
Boxing Day (substitute day)	28 December	Tuesday

Scotland has nine bank holidays in 2027. It does not have Easter Monday as a bank holiday, and its summer bank holiday is at the start of August rather than the end. Because 2 January 2027 is a Saturday, the extra New Year bank holiday moves to Monday 4 January.

Local holidays in Scotland also vary from town to town, so check with your council or employer.

UK Bank Holidays 2027: Northern Ireland

Bank holiday	Date	Day
New Year’s Day	1 January	Friday
St Patrick’s Day	17 March	Wednesday
Good Friday	26 March	Friday
Easter Monday	29 March	Monday
Early May bank holiday	3 May	Monday
Spring bank holiday	31 May	Monday
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day)	12 July	Monday
Summer bank holiday	30 August	Monday
Christmas Day (substitute day)	27 December	Monday
Boxing Day (substitute day)	28 December	Tuesday

Northern Ireland has ten bank holidays in 2027, the most in the UK.

Easter 2027: An Early Easter

Easter Sunday falls on 28 March 2027, much earlier than usual. That means:

• Good Friday: Friday 26 March
• Easter Monday: Monday 29 March (not in Scotland)

The clocks also go forward for British Summer Time on the same weekend, early on Sunday 28 March, so you will lose an hour of sleep over the Easter weekend.

Because Easter is so early, there is a gap of more than a month before the next bank holiday in May. School Easter holidays may not line up neatly with the bank holidays either, so check your local council’s term dates before booking a family trip.

Christmas 2027 Bank Holidays

🎄 Christmas 2027 Bank Holidays

In 2027, Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day falls on a Sunday. When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute day is given on the next weekday.

What does this mean?

Workers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will get substitute bank holidays on Monday and Tuesday after Christmas.

CHRISTMAS DAY Monday 27 December Substitute bank holiday

BOXING DAY Tuesday 28 December Substitute bank holiday

🎆 New Year’s Day 2028

New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday, so its substitute bank holiday will be:

Monday 3 January 2028

Plan Your Festive Break!
With Christmas and Boxing Day substitute holidays followed by the New Year bank holiday, many workers can enjoy an extended festive break by booking a few extra days of annual leave.

In 2027, Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day falls on a Sunday. When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute day is given on the next weekday.

So the Christmas bank holidays in 2027 are:

• Monday 27 December (for Christmas Day)
• Tuesday 28 December (for Boxing Day)

New Year’s Day 2028 falls on a Saturday, so its substitute bank holiday will be on Monday 3 January 2028.

That creates a long festive break for many workers, from Christmas Eve right through to early January.

How to Turn 24 Days of Leave Into 57 Days Off

The best way to get the most from UK bank holidays 2027 is to book annual leave around them. Here is how workers in England and Wales can do it, based on a typical Monday to Friday job:

Break	Annual leave days	Total days off
New Year: 1 to 10 January	5 (4 to 8 January)	10
Easter: 20 to 29 March	4 (22 to 25 March)	10
Early May: 1 to 9 May	4 (4 to 7 May)	9
Spring: 29 May to 6 June	4 (1 to 4 June)	9
Summer: 28 August to 5 September	4 (31 August to 3 September)	9
Christmas: 25 December to 3 January 2028	3 (29 to 31 December)	10

If you also take Christmas Eve (Friday 24 December) off, the break grows to 11 days.

In total, that is 24 days of annual leave for about 57 days off across the year when you add the weekends and bank holidays together. Most full time workers in the UK are entitled to 28 days of paid leave a year, which can include bank holidays, so check your contract.

Do You Get Paid for Bank Holidays?

There is no legal right to time off or extra pay on a bank holiday in the UK. Whether you get bank holidays off, and whether they count as part of your annual leave, depends on your employment contract.

Full time workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which is 28 days for someone working five days a week. Employers can include bank holidays in that 28 days.

If you work on a bank holiday, your employer does not have to pay you extra unless your contract says so.

What Is Open and Closed on Bank Holidays?

On most UK bank holidays 2027:

• Banks are closed, though online and mobile banking work as normal.
• Most shops and supermarkets are open, often with shorter hours.
• Royal Mail does not usually deliver letters, though some parcel services run.
• GP surgeries are often closed. Call NHS 111 if you need urgent medical help that is not an emergency.
• Public transport may run a Sunday service.

On Christmas Day, large shops in England and Wales are not allowed to open by law, and most public transport stops. Shop opening rules on Easter Sunday also apply in England and Wales.

Why Are They Called Bank Holidays?

The name comes from the Bank Holidays Act 1871, introduced by Liberal MP Sir John Lubbock. It created days when banks would close, so that trade and business would stop and workers could enjoy a day off.

Today, bank holidays are set out in the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, and some dates are confirmed each year by royal proclamation. Extra bank holidays can be added for special events, such as royal weddings, jubilees and coronations.

You can read more about the history on the public holidays in the United Kingdom Wikipedia page.

Will There Be an Extra Bank Holiday in 2027?

No extra one off bank holidays have been announced, so the list of UK bank holidays 2027 above is complete for now. The government sometimes adds a special bank holiday for major national events, but none are planned at the moment.

UK Bank Holidays 2027 vs 2026

Here is how UK bank holidays 2027 compare with this year in England and Wales:

Bank holiday	2026	2027
Good Friday	3 April	26 March
Easter Monday	6 April	29 March
Early May	4 May	3 May
Spring	25 May	31 May
Summer	31 August	30 August
Christmas Day	Friday 25 December	Monday 27 December (substitute)
Boxing Day	Monday 28 December (substitute)	Tuesday 28 December (substitute)

Best UK Bank Holidays 2027 for a Trip Away

Some UK bank holidays 2027 are better than others for a break:

• Easter (26 to 29 March): A four day weekend in early spring. Good for city breaks in Europe before the summer crowds, though weather can be mixed.
• Early May (1 to 3 May): A great time for a short UK trip, with longer days and spring flowers.
• Spring bank holiday (29 to 31 May): Often lines up with school half term in England, so expect busy roads, beaches and airports.
• Summer bank holiday (28 to 30 August): The last long weekend of summer. Popular for festivals and seaside trips, so book well ahead.
• Christmas (25 to 28 December): A four day break, followed by the New Year weekend.

School Holidays and UK Bank Holidays 2027

School term dates are set by local councils and academy trusts, so they vary across the country. In England, the May half term usually falls in the week of the spring bank holiday, which in 2027 is the week starting 31 May. The Easter holidays may not match the early Easter bank holidays exactly, so some families may find school is out in April instead.

Check your local council’s website for exact school dates before you book a family holiday.

Tips for Travelling on UK Bank Holidays 2027

• Leave early or late. Roads are busiest on the Friday afternoon before and the Monday afternoon after a long weekend.
• Check rail engineering works. Network Rail often carries out major works over bank holiday weekends, which can mean rail replacement buses.
• Book airport parking early. Prices rise quickly for popular dates.
• Look for midweek deals. If you can take leave midweek, flights and hotels are often much cheaper.

Bank Holidays in Ireland and Europe

If you are planning trips abroad, remember that other countries have their own public holidays. For example:

• Republic of Ireland has St Brigid’s Day in early February and St Patrick’s Day on 17 March.
• France and Germany have public holidays on Ascension Day and Whit Monday, which in 2027 fall on 6 May and 17 May.
• Many European countries also have a holiday on 1 May for Labour Day.

Travel prices to popular European cities often rise around these dates, so book early if your trip lines up with local holidays.

More From ScoopsBuzz

• Budget 2026 key points: £100 energy payment, ISA U turn and what it means for you
• Christmas markets 2026: dates for the best markets in Europe and the UK

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: GOV.UK, Privy Council Office, LBC, Acas