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UK bank holidays 2027
England and Wales have 8, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2027. Here are the 6 they share, and the full list for each part of the UK with its substitute days.
The 6 bank holidays across the whole UK
- 1 January: New Year’s Day Friday Long weekend
- 26 March: Good Friday Friday Long weekend
- 3 May: Early May bank holiday Monday Long weekend
- 31 May: Spring bank holiday Monday Long weekend
- 27 December: Christmas Day Monday · substitute day, as 25 December falls on a Saturday 4-day weekend
- 28 December: Boxing Day Tuesday · substitute day, as 26 December falls on a Sunday 4-day weekend
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each add their own bank holidays. Choose yours for the full 2027 list.
Bank holidays in each part of the UK
| Where | Its own bank holidays in 2027 |
|---|---|
| England and Wales | Easter Monday on Monday 29 March and the Summer bank holiday on Monday 30 August |
| Scotland | 2nd January on Monday 4 January, the Summer bank holiday on Monday 2 August and St Andrew’s Day on Tuesday 30 November |
| Northern Ireland | St Patrick’s Day on Wednesday 17 March, Easter Monday on Monday 29 March, Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) on Monday 12 July and the Summer bank holiday on Monday 30 August |
Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland, and the summer bank holiday is on the first Monday of August rather than the last. Many Scottish employers follow their council’s local public holidays instead of some of these dates, so check your council’s list before you set the rota.
Bank holidays and annual leave
Your staff have no statutory right to a day off on a bank holiday. Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and you can choose to count bank holidays as part of it.
If someone in your team works a bank holiday
The law sets no extra rate for bank holiday work. What you pay, or the day off you give in return, depends on the contract, so check what yours says before you plan the rota.
Recording those hours like any other shift helps you pay what you agreed and show it if anyone asks.
To add up a week with a bank holiday shift in it, use the hours worked calculator.
How many working days are there between two dates? Work it out with the working days calculator, which takes these bank holidays off.
Plan 2027’s bank holidays on your team calendar
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Frequently asked questions
How many bank holidays are there in the UK in 2027?
It depends on where your team works. In 2027 England and Wales have 8, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays. The same 6 apply right across the UK.
When are the Easter bank holidays in 2027?
Easter Sunday is on 28 March 2027. Good Friday, 26 March, is a bank holiday everywhere in the UK. Easter Monday, 29 March, is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not in Scotland. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland that makes a 4-day weekend from Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March.
When are the May bank holidays in 2027?
The Early May bank holiday is on Monday 3 May 2027 and the Spring bank holiday is on Monday 31 May 2027, in every part of the UK.
When is the August bank holiday in 2027?
It depends on where you are. In Scotland it is on Monday 2 August 2027. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is on Monday 30 August 2027.
What happens when a bank holiday falls on a weekend?
A weekday becomes a substitute bank holiday, normally the following Monday. In 2027 that gives Monday 4 January for 2nd January (Scotland only), Monday 27 December for Christmas Day and Tuesday 28 December for Boxing Day.
Do employers have to give staff bank holidays off?
No. There is no statutory right to time off on a bank holiday. You can count bank holidays towards the 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave your staff are entitled to, which is capped at 28 days for someone working 5 days a week. The Working Time Regulations 1998 set this in Great Britain and the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 in Northern Ireland.
Do you have to pay more for working on a bank holiday?
Not by law. Neither set of Working Time Regulations sets a higher rate for bank holiday work, so any extra pay or time off in lieu comes from the employment contract.
Official sources
- GOV.UK, UK bank holidays: England and Wales
- GOV.UK, UK bank holidays: Scotland
- GOV.UK, UK bank holidays: Northern Ireland
- Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, Schedule 1
- Working Time Regulations 1998, regulations 13 and 13A
- GOV.UK, Holiday entitlement
- Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, regulations 15 and 16
- nidirect, Holiday entitlements
Data reviewed on 12 October 2026.