The UK government has officially announced the bank holiday schedule for 2026, confirming a significant disparity in the number of days off across the four nations. The details, shared via an official post on X, reveal that while the whole UK will see between eight and ten recognised bank holidays, England and Wales are set to receive the lowest allocation.
The National Divide in Days Off
According to the released schedule, England and Wales will have eight bank holidays in 2026. These consist of the traditional breaks: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Early May and Spring bank holidays, the Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
In contrast, Scotland will benefit from nine days off, gaining an additional holiday on January 2nd. Residents of Northern Ireland will enjoy the most, with ten bank holidays. Their extra days are St Patrick's Day on March 17th and a holiday on July 12th, commemorating the Battle of the Boyne.
Public Criticism Over the 'Ludicrous' Summer Gap
The announcement has sparked criticism, particularly concerning the lengthy gap in the holiday calendar for England and Wales during the summer months. After the late May bank holiday, there is no further break until the Summer bank holiday at the end of August.
This issue was highlighted by a social media user named Paul, who called for a reconsideration on X (formerly Twitter). He stated, "Please arrange a bank holiday in summer. Nothing between the end of May and the end of August is ludicrous." This sentiment echoes a wider frustration, as Scotland has a day off at the start of August and Northern Ireland marks July 12th.
Historically, the first Monday in August was a holiday across the UK. However, legislation in 1971 moved it to the last Monday of the month for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while Scotland retained the original date.
How the UK Compares Globally
The figures place England and Wales near the bottom of the global league table for public holidays. Among developed nations, they have one of the lowest counts, with only Mexico offering fewer mandated days off for workers, at just seven per year.
The full list of bank holidays for England in 2026 is as follows:
- Thursday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 3 April – Good Friday
- Monday 6 April – Easter Monday
- Monday 4 May – Early May bank holiday
- Monday 25 May – Spring bank holiday
- Monday 31 August – Summer bank holiday
- Friday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Monday 28 December – Boxing Day (substitute day)
