2026 Calendar UK: Complete Guide with Bank Holidays & Key Dates

Published: January 2026 | Reading time: 7 minutes

Whether you are planning annual leave, organising family events, or simply want to know what lies ahead, having a clear view of the 2026 calendar UK is invaluable. This comprehensive guide covers every bank holiday, notable date, and seasonal event across the year — everything you need to plan 2026 with confidence.

You can explore the full interactive 2026 calendar on our homepage, which lets you click through months, highlight bank holidays, and visualise the entire year at a glance. Below, we have broken down the year into easy-to-navigate sections.

UK Bank Holidays 2026

England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each have their own set of bank holidays. Here is the complete list for 2026:

England & Wales Bank Holidays 2026

Scotland Bank Holidays 2026

Northern Ireland Bank Holidays 2026

2026 Calendar Highlights by Season

Winter (January & February)

The year opens with New Year's Day on a Thursday, giving many workers an excellent opportunity to take just two days of leave and secure a five-day break. February brings Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) on 17th February and Ash Wednesday on 18th February, marking the start of Lent. Valentine's Day falls on Saturday 14th February.

Spring (March, April & May)

Spring 2026 is packed with significant dates. St Patrick's Day falls on 17th March. Easter arrives early in April, with Good Friday on 3rd April and Easter Monday on 6th April. May delivers two bank holidays — the Early May Bank Holiday on 4th May and the Spring Bank Holiday on 25th May — creating excellent opportunities to extend breaks with minimal annual leave.

Summer (June, July & August)

The long school summer holidays dominate July and August. The UK Summer Bank Holiday falls on 31st August, rounding off the season nicely. Major sporting events traditionally fill the summer calendar, and 2026 is no exception with motor racing, cricket, and athletics fixtures throughout the warmer months.

Autumn (September, October & November)

Autumn 2026 includes Halloween on Saturday 31st October and Bonfire Night on Thursday 5th November. Remembrance Sunday falls on 8th November. In Scotland, St Andrew's Day is a bank holiday on 30th November.

Winter Festivities (December)

Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, meaning Christmas Day and Boxing Day are 25th and 26th December, with the substitute Boxing Day bank holiday on Monday 28th December. This creates a four-day weekend over the Christmas period, with many businesses closing from Christmas Eve through to the New Year.

Key Dates in the 2026 UK Calendar

Date Event
1 January New Year's Day (Bank Holiday)
14 February Valentine's Day
17 February Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)
17 March St Patrick's Day
22 March Mothering Sunday
3 April Good Friday (Bank Holiday)
5 April Easter Sunday
6 April Easter Monday (Bank Holiday)
23 April St George's Day (England)
4 May Early May Bank Holiday
25 May Spring Bank Holiday
21 June Summer Solstice (longest day)
31 August Summer Bank Holiday
31 October Halloween
5 November Bonfire Night
30 November St Andrew's Day (Scotland Bank Holiday)
25 December Christmas Day (Bank Holiday)
28 December Boxing Day (substitute Bank Holiday)

Maximising Your 2026 Annual Leave

The 2026 UK calendar offers several excellent opportunities to extend your holidays by taking annual leave around bank holidays. The two May bank holidays are particularly well-suited to this — taking the two days between the 4th and 25th May bank holidays could result in extended time away, and booking leave adjacent to the Easter weekend can create breaks of nine or more days using just three or four days of annual leave.

For a detailed breakdown of the best annual leave strategies for 2026, see our guide on how to maximise your bank holidays in 2026.

Using Our Free 2026 Calendar Tool

Our interactive 2026 calendar is completely free to use and requires no registration. Features include:

Whether you need to check the calendar for work planning, family events, or simply to know what day a particular date falls on, our tool makes it quick and straightforward.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bank holidays are there in England in 2026?

There are eight bank holidays in England and Wales in 2026.

What day does New Year's Day fall on in 2026?

New Year's Day 2026 falls on a Thursday.

When is Easter 2026?

Easter Sunday 2026 is on 5th April. Good Friday is 3rd April and Easter Monday is 6th April, both of which are bank holidays in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

What day is Christmas 2026?

Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday. Boxing Day is on Saturday 26th December, with the substitute bank holiday on Monday 28th December.

Explore the Full 2026 Calendar

Use our free interactive calendar to visualise all bank holidays and plan your year.

View the 2026 Calendar →