Long weekends in the United Kingdom, 2026
England and Wales get eight bank holidays in 2026, and the calendar is unusually generous: three Monday bank holidays, a four-day Easter, and — because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday — a substitute day that builds a four-day Christmas weekend.
New Year's Day
Thursday holiday — take the Friday as a bridge day and you're off until Monday.
Good Friday + Easter Monday
Friday and Monday holidays wrap a full weekend — four days off, zero leave.
Early May Bank Holiday
Falls on a Monday — an automatic three-day weekend.
Spring Bank Holiday
Falls on a Monday — an automatic three-day weekend.
Summer Bank Holiday
Falls on a Monday — an automatic three-day weekend.
Christmas Day + Boxing Day (substitute day)
Friday and Monday holidays wrap a full weekend — four days off, zero leave.
Worth knowing
This guide covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own bank holiday calendars (2 January and St Andrew's Day in Scotland; St Patrick's Day and the Twelfth in Northern Ireland).
Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December 2026, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December as a substitute day.
New to bridge days? Read how the bridge-day method works.
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