UK bank holidays 2026: How to more than double your annual ...
Wondering how to maximise bank holidays in 2026? Strategically plan your annual leave and you’ll maximise your time off during Easter, summer and Christmas
www.which.co.ukHere are the latest UK May Bank Holiday dates for 2026 and how they line up in the calendar.
- Early May bank holiday (England & Wales): Monday, 4 May 2026
- Spring bank holiday: Monday, 25 May 2026
- Note: There is no additional May bank holiday after these two in May 2026 for England & Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own variations, but the two May holidays are the ones most commonly referenced for England & Wales.
Helpful context and quick tips
- If you’re planning time off, many people extend these long weekends by taking a few extra days off around Tue–Fri of the same weeks, creating a longer break without using too many leave days. For example, you could pair May 4 with the adjacent days to form a longer break, and similarly for May 25, depending on your workplace policy.[1][2]
- The other major public holidays in 2026 include New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1; Good Friday on Friday, April 3; Easter Monday on Monday, April 6; and Christmas on Friday, December 25, with variations across the UK regions. These are commonly cited when planning annual leave across the year.[4][1]
If you’d like, I can compile a concise 2026 bank holiday calendar for England & Wales (with Scotland and Northern Ireland as a separate section), or help you plan an extended break using a specific set of dates.