Bank Holiday

Content Guide

• What is a Bank Holiday?
• 2026 Bank Holiday Calendar
• Tips for saving
• Easter Bank Holiday
• May Bank Holiday
• Summer Bank Holiday
• 2027 Bank Holiday Calendar
• FAQ

What is a Bank Holiday?

A Bank Holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, established by law under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. The term itself comes from an even older custom dating back to 1871, when banks were legally required to close on certain dates throughout the year. Today, the term is used more broadly to refer to all UK public holidays.

When is the next Bank Holiday?

One particularly British quirk: there's no single calendar that applies to the whole of the UK. Dates vary between:

• England and Wales, with 8 Bank Holidays a year;
• Scotland, with 9, including 2 January and St Andrew's Day (30 November);
• Northern Ireland, with 10, including St Patrick's Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (12 July).

Another important point for anyone hunting for Bank Holiday weekend deals: in most cases, shops, supermarkets and online stores stay open as normal during Bank Holidays, sometimes with slightly shorter hours on the day itself.

UK Bank Holiday Calendar 2026

Date	Day	Bank Holiday
1 January	Thursday	New Year's Day
3 April	Friday	Good Friday
6 April	Monday	Easter Monday
4 May	Monday	Early May Bank Holiday 2026
25 May	Monday	Spring Bank Holiday 2026
31 August	Monday	August Bank Holiday 2026
25 December	Friday	Christmas Day
28 December	Monday	Boxing Day (substitute day)

 

General tips for saving during UK Bank Holiday sales

1. Get ahead of the crowd. Bank Holiday sale often start 3–5 days before the long weekend kicks off — don't wait until the last minute to avoid missing the best deals.
2. Compare prices before you buy. Check the price history of the item you want: not every "sale" is a genuine reduction from the usual price.
3. Sign up to your favourite brands' newsletters ahead of the weekend — many exclusive discount codes land by email in the days beforehand.
4. Stack your savings. Combine a discount code with any retailer cashback or rewards scheme to maximise what you save.
5. Watch out for limited stock. Seasonal items like garden furniture, barbecues or fans sell out fast — if you've already spotted the right product, don't hang around.
6. Don't just stick to one brand — browse by category too. Some of the best deals come from cross-retailer promotions covering several stores at once.

The most popular discount codes for the Bank Holiday

On top of the price cuts already visible in-store or online, many brands hold back extra discount codes valid only for the Bank Holiday period — often adding a further 10–20% saving, typically in the fashion and travel sectors.

Many Bank Holiday discounts stay live for the entire long weekend, so it's worth checking for coupons on the Monday itself too, not just in the days running up to it.

Turn on Discoup notifications to be alerted the moment a new Bank Holiday voucher goes live — it's the easiest way not to miss out on time-limited offers.

Major Bank Holidays deals

Easter Bank Holiday

The Easter bank holiday weekend goes from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Unlike the tech-heavy winter sales, this period is heavily focused on home and garden, as households use the spring cleaning window to tackle DIY projects and refresh outdoor spaces; it's also a strong moment for Easter chocolate and family gifting.

Top brands to watch:

• B&Q, Wickes and Dunelm Bank Holiday sale for DIY, paint and garden furniture (often with "buy one get half price" offers on timber and outdoor pieces)
• John Lewis Bank Holiday sale for Easter gifting
• supermarkets like Tesco, Home Bargains and Asda for Easter egg and chocolate deals

May Bank Holiday deals

May bank holiday is often used loosely to refer to either (or both) of the month's two long weekends: the Early May Bank Holiday and the Spring Bank Holiday.

The Early May Bank Holiday lands on the first Monday of May and kicks off the "outdoor living season".

The Spring Bank Holiday falls on the last Monday of May and is often considered the stronger of the two Bank Holiday in May, arriving closer to summer and overlapping with school half-term.

Together they represent one of the busiest shopping windows of the year for garden furniture, barbecues, patio sets, DIY tools and fans, as households prepare for summer.

With the late May Bank Holiday, shopping focus shifts towards outdoor living and mid-season fashion: garden furniture, barbecues, fans and cooling products, alongside early "20-50% off" mid-season clothing sales.

Top brands to watch:

• B&Q, Wickes, Argos and Dunelm for home and garden
• Amazon and Currys Bank Holiday sale for outdoor tech and early summer electronics
• Zara and Next, which typically launch mid-season fashion events around this time

August Bank Holiday deals

The Bank Holiday in August falls on the last Monday of the month. This is the final major discount window before autumn, combining end-of-season garden furniture and barbecue clearance — with reductions of up to 30-40% — alongside the peak of "Back to School" shopping for laptops, stationery and school essentials.

Top brands to watch during Summer Bank Holiday:

• B&Q deals for garden furniture and paint clearance
• Argos Bank Holiday sale for home, toys, tech and back-to-school essentials
• Apple for student laptop incentives
• the Amazon August Bank Holiday sale and Currys for wider back-to-school tech deals

UK 2027 Bank Holiday dates

Date	Day	Bank Holiday
1 January	Friday	New Year's Day
26 March	Friday	Good Friday
29 March	Monday	Easter Monday
3 May	Monday	Early May Bank Holiday 2027
31 May	Monday	Spring Bank Holiday 2027
30 August	Monday	August Bank Holiday 2027
27 December	Monday	Christmas Day (substitute day)
28 December	Tuesday	Boxing Day (substitute day)

In 2027, Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, resulting in a particularly long festive bridge, with substitute days pushing the holidays to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December.

Frequently Asked Questions about UK Bank Holidays

• When is the next Bank Holiday in the UK?

Check the calendars above for the exact next date depending on your region (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland).

• Are shops open on Bank Holiday?

Yes, most physical shops and all online stores remain open as normal, sometimes with slightly reduced hours on the holiday itself.

• Are the dates the same across the whole UK?

No. England and Wales share the same calendar, while Scotland and Northern Ireland observe some additional or different dates, as shown in the tables above.

• When do Bank Holiday sales usually start?

Typically 3–5 days before the long weekend begins, with the biggest promotions concentrated in the days immediately before and during the weekend itself.

• Is Good Friday a bank holiday?

Yes, Good Friday is a bank holiday across the whole of the UK — England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all observe it, unlike Easter Monday, which Scotland doesn't include on its calendar.

• Is New Year's Eve a bank holiday?

No, New Year's Eve (31 December) is not an official bank holiday in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. In Scotland it's widely treated as a day off in practice around Hogmanay celebrations, but it isn't part of the statutory bank holiday list — only 1 and 2 January are.

• Is Christmas Eve a bank holiday?

No, Christmas Eve (24 December) is not a bank holiday anywhere in the UK. Many employers do close early or grant it as extra leave, but it isn't included in the official list — only Christmas Day and Boxing Day are statutory bank holidays.

• Is Boxing Day a bank holiday?

Yes, Boxing Day (26 December) is a bank holiday across the entire UK. When it falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is given instead.

• Is Easter Sunday a bank holiday?

No, Easter Sunday itself is not a bank holiday, simply because it always falls on a Sunday, which is already a non-working day by default. The bank holidays around Easter are Good Friday and, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Easter Monday.