The government has released the bank holiday schedule for 2026, detailing between eight and 10 allocated days as official Bank Holidays. In England and Wales, there are eight days designated as holidays, while Scotland observes nine and Northern Ireland has the most with 10 holidays.
The holidays in England and Wales include Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, and Easter. In Scotland, an additional day off falls on January 2, and in Northern Ireland, two extra holidays are on March 17 for St Patrick’s Day and July 12 to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne.
Criticism has arisen regarding the distribution of holidays, particularly the lack of breaks during the summer months. While Northern Ireland and Scotland have holidays in July and August, there are no official holidays from the end of May to the end of August elsewhere.
A social media user named Paul, on X (formerly Twitter), called for a reevaluation of the holiday calendar, suggesting the inclusion of a summer bank holiday. Bank holidays have been a tradition in the UK since 1871, established by an Act of Parliament allowing banks to close on specific days, hence the term “bank holiday.”
Historically, the first Monday in August was a universal holiday until 1971 when a new law shifted it to the last Monday of the month, except in Scotland. England and Wales have fewer public holidays compared to most countries worldwide, with Mexico having only seven annual holidays.