Welcome to the most comprehensive UK holidays calendar for 2026! Planning your year has never been easier with our complete guide to all bank holidays, school holidays, and half term dates across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Whether you're planning a family holiday, organizing work schedules, or simply want to know when the next long weekend is, our 2026 UK holiday calendar shows every important date at a glance. From New Year's Day to Christmas, Easter breaks to summer holidays, we've got you covered with accurate dates for all regions of the United Kingdom.
Tap or hover over any date to see detailed information about what's happening that day! Extended holiday periods are highlighted in red to help you spot the best times for longer breaks.
Complete guide to bank holidays, school breaks & half terms
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1New Year's Day - Public holiday across UK | 22nd January - Bank holiday in Scotland | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14Valentine's Day - Send flowers & chocolates! |
15 | 16February Half Term begins - Week-long school break | 17February Half Term continues | 18February Half Term continues | 19February Half Term continues | 20February Half Term ends | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1St David's Day - Patron saint of Wales | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17St Patrick's Day - Bank holiday in Northern Ireland | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30Easter school holidays begin - 2 week break | 31Easter school holidays continue |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Easter school holidays continue | 2Easter school holidays continue | 3Good Friday - Public holiday across UK | 4Easter Saturday | |||
5Easter Sunday - Chocolate egg hunts! | 6Easter Monday - Public holiday across UK | 7Easter school holidays continue | 8Easter school holidays continue | 9Easter school holidays continue | 10Easter school holidays continue | 11 |
12 | 13Easter school holidays continue | 14Easter school holidays continue | 15Easter school holidays continue | 16Easter school holidays continue | 17Easter school holidays end - Back to school | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23St George's Day - Patron saint of England | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | |||||
3 | 4Early May Bank Holiday - Public holiday across UK | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
24 | 25Spring Bank Holiday - Last Monday of May | 26May Half Term continues | 27May Half Term continues | 28May Half Term continues | 29May Half Term ends | 30 |
31 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12Battle of the Boyne - Bank holiday in Northern Ireland | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20Summer school holidays begin - 6 weeks! | 21Summer school holidays continue | 22Summer school holidays continue | 23Summer school holidays continue | 24Summer school holidays continue | 25 |
26 | 27Summer school holidays continue | 28Summer school holidays continue | 29Summer school holidays continue | 30Summer school holidays continue | 31Summer school holidays continue |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3Summer school holidays continue | 4Summer school holidays continue | 5Summer school holidays continue | 6Summer school holidays continue | 7Summer school holidays continue | 8 |
9 | 10Summer school holidays continue | 11Summer school holidays continue | 12Summer school holidays continue | 13Summer school holidays continue | 14Summer school holidays continue | 15 |
16 | 17Summer school holidays continue | 18Summer school holidays continue | 19Summer school holidays continue | 20Summer school holidays continue | 21Summer school holidays continue | 22 |
23 | 24Summer school holidays continue | 25Summer school holidays continue | 26Summer school holidays continue | 27Summer school holidays continue | 28Summer school holidays continue | 29 |
30 | 31Summer Bank Holiday - Last Monday of August |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Summer school holidays continue | 2Summer school holidays continue | 3Summer school holidays continue | 4Summer school holidays end - Back to school | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26October Half Term begins | 27October Half Term continues | 28October Half Term continues | 29October Half Term continues | 30October Half Term ends | 31Halloween - Trick or treat! |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5Guy Fawkes Night - Fireworks displays across UK | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30St Andrew's Day - Bank holiday in Scotland |
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18Christmas school holidays begin - 2 weeks! | 19 |
20 | 21Christmas school holidays continue | 22Christmas school holidays continue | 23Christmas school holidays continue | 24Christmas Eve - Santa's on his way! | 25Christmas Day - Public holiday across UK | 26 |
27 | 28Boxing Day - Public holiday across UK | 29Christmas school holidays continue | 30Christmas school holidays continue | 31New Year's Eve - Countdown to 2027! |
Bank holidays are public holidays in the United Kingdom when most businesses and schools are closed. In 2026, the UK will observe eight main bank holidays across England and Wales, with additional regional holidays in Scotland and Northern Ireland. These bank holidays provide excellent opportunities for long weekends and family time.
The 2026 bank holidays include New Year's Day (January 1st), Good Friday (April 3rd), Easter Monday (April 6th), Early May Bank Holiday (May 4th), Spring Bank Holiday (May 25th), Summer Bank Holiday (August 31st), Christmas Day (December 25th), and Boxing Day substitute (December 28th).
School holidays in the UK follow a standard pattern throughout the year, with variations between different local authorities. The main school holidays in 2026 include the Easter break (typically two weeks in late March/early April), the summer holidays (six weeks from late July to early September), and the Christmas break (two weeks around Christmas and New Year).
Half term breaks provide shorter one-week breaks throughout the academic year. In 2026, families can expect half terms in February, May (sometimes called the Spring half term or Whitsun break), and October (autumn half term). These breaks offer perfect opportunities for short family trips or staycations.
While England and Wales share most bank holidays, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own unique public holidays. Scotland celebrates St Andrew's Day (November 30th) and has an additional holiday on January 2nd. Northern Ireland observes St Patrick's Day (March 17th) and the Battle of the Boyne (July 12th).
When planning holidays in 2026, consider the extended breaks highlighted in our calendar. The Easter period offers a substantial two-week school holiday combined with Good Friday and Easter Monday bank holidays, making it ideal for a family vacation. The summer holidays provide the longest break, perfect for overseas travel or exploring the UK.
The Christmas period at the end of 2026 combines school holidays with Christmas Day and Boxing Day bank holidays, creating another extended break period. Smart holiday planning around these dates can maximize your time off while minimizing the number of annual leave days used.
The United Kingdom has rich holiday traditions throughout the year. Easter brings chocolate egg hunts and family gatherings. The May bank holidays often feature outdoor festivals and the start of the summer season. August bank holiday weekend is famous for music festivals and seaside trips. Halloween (October 31st) and Bonfire Night (November 5th) offer unique British celebrations, while Christmas remains the biggest holiday celebration of the year.
Early planning is essential for UK holidays in 2026. Popular destinations book up quickly during school holidays, so booking accommodation, flights, and activities well in advance can secure better prices and availability. Consider traveling during shoulder seasons or weekdays to avoid peak pricing and crowds.
For those working in education or with school-age children, the school holiday dates are crucial for planning. Non-term time holidays can be significantly cheaper, but penalties apply for taking children out of school during term time except in exceptional circumstances.