Is Today a Bank Holiday in the UK? 2025, 2026 & Regional Guide
You woke up, glanced at the calendar, and wondered: is today a bank holiday in the UK? The answer isn’t as simple as a yes or no — because the UK doesn’t have one single holiday calendar. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each follow slightly different schedules, and the answer changes depending on where you live and what day it is. This guide walks you through how to check today’s status, what the standard 8 bank holidays are, and which regions get extra days off — including a proposed new holiday in 2026.
Standard UK Bank Holidays: 8 per year ·
Region with Most Holidays: Northern Ireland (10) ·
Next Scheduled Bank Holiday: 25 December (Christmas Day) ·
Proposed Extra Holiday: 2026 (King Charles III)
Quick snapshot
1Is Today a Holiday?
- Check current date status across all UK nations via gov.uk (official UK government calendar)
- Regional differences mean today may be a holiday in one nation but not another (gov.uk (official UK government calendar))
2Full Holiday List
- Standard 8 holidays for England and Wales: New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May, Spring, Late Summer, Christmas, Boxing Day
- Regional additions include St Andrew’s Day (Scotland) and St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland)
3Upcoming Dates (2025-2026)
- Scotland’s 2026 holidays: 1 Jan, 2 Jan, 3 Apr, 4 May, 25 May, 3 Aug, 30 Nov, 25 Dec, 28 Dec (mygov.scot (Scottish Government))
- Northern Ireland adds St Patrick’s Day (17 Mar) and Battle of the Boyne (14 Jul) (mygov.scot (Scottish Government))
4Bank and Service Hours
- Banks, post offices, and many supermarkets close or operate reduced hours on bank holidays
- Online banking and digital services remain available
