The Summer bank holiday is here once again and with it comes the obvious question: when’s the next one? The bonus day off is the last chance to enjoy some relaxation that doesn’t eat up your annual leave until December.
But sadly – you’re going to have to wait until December. Christmas is officially round the corner, and the big man in red is bringing two gifts for workers along with him. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are both designated bank holidays by the government, meaning banks, post offices, government buildings and schools remain well and truly shut. in 2025, Christmas Day falls on a Thursday 25th December – meaning no extra bank holiday.
It’s useful to know when each one falls during the year, especially if you want to maximise your leave in 2026. By using bank holidays cleverly, you can more than double an allowance of 25 days.
However, it’s important to remember that employers aren’t required to offer paid leave on bank or public holidays and these holidays can also affect when and how benefits are distributed,
Bank Holidays 2026 – full list
Here’s the full list of bank holidays in England and Wales for 2026:
| Date | Day of the Week | Bank holiday |
| January 1 | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| April 3 | Friday | Good Friday |
| April 6 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| May 4 | Monday | Early May bank holiday |
| May 25 | Monday | Spring bank holiday |
| August 31 | Monday | Summer bank holiday |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| December 28 | Monday | Boxing Day |
If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday. This is the case for next year’s Boxing Day.
How can I maximise my annual leave using bank holidays?
To enjoy longer blocks of annual leave, there are certain days around bank holidays and weekends that can be useful to book off if possible.
For instance, in April there are two bank holidays – Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6). If annual leave is taken from March 30-April 2 and from April 7-10 then workers can enjoy a 16 day block of time-off using just eight days of their annual leave.
Book four days between May 5-8 for nine consecutive days off, then another four days from May 26-29 for another nine-day break.
Similarly, at Christmas, December 21-24 and December 29-31 to enjoy a total of 16 days off.
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