Bank holiday for Boxing Day moved from December 26

With only two bank holidays left in 2025, many are already eagerly anticipating the dates for 2026. The dates of bank holidays vary each year, influenced by weekends and annual holidays like Easter that change dates.

Regrettably, with no significant national celebrations on the horizon, there are currently no plans to add any extra bank holidays to the eight days we'll receive in 2026.

The next bank holiday in England and Wales is Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day), followed by Boxing Day - Friday, December 26.

This means that the first bank holiday of 2026 will be New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1.

While this year's Easter bank holidays were in late April, next year Easter will be slightly earlier, with Good Friday falling on Friday, April 3, and Easter Monday on Monday, April 6, reports the Liverpool Echo.

May's two bank holidays will be on Monday, May 4 and Monday, May 25, while the summer bank holiday, which falls towards the end of the school summer holidays, will be on Monday, August 31.

To conclude the year, next year's Christmas bank holiday will be on Friday, December 25.

Boxing Day this year falls on Saturday, December 26, meaning there will be a substitute bank holiday on Monday, December 28.

Savvy workers can plan ahead now to maximise their annual leave by booking holidays around these dates to extend their time off.

Confirmed UK bank holidays for 2026:

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 (substitute day).