Long weekends in the United Kingdom, 2026
2026 has 6 public holidays, and every one of them gives you a weekday off. The best bridge: 5 days off for 1 day of leave around Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The best bridges in 2026
Each public holiday on a weekday, with the leave that stretches it furthest.
- Thu, Jan 1
New Year's Day
- Best value
4 days off for 1 day of leave · Thu, Jan 1 to Sun, Jan 4
Take off: Fri, Jan 2
- Best value
- Fri, Apr 3
Good Friday
- Free long weekend
3 days off, no leave needed · Fri, Apr 3 to Sun, Apr 5
- Best value
4 days off for 1 day of leave · Thu, Apr 2 to Sun, Apr 5
Take off: Thu, Apr 2
- Longest break
10 days off for 5 days of leave · Fri, Mar 27 to Sun, Apr 5
Take off: Fri, Mar 27 and Mon, Mar 30 to Thu, Apr 2
- Free long weekend
- Mon, May 4
Early May bank holiday
- Free long weekend
3 days off, no leave needed · Sat, May 2 to Mon, May 4
- Best value
4 days off for 1 day of leave · Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 4
Take off: Fri, May 1
- Longest break
10 days off for 5 days of leave · Sat, Apr 25 to Mon, May 4
Take off: Mon, Apr 27 to Fri, May 1
- Free long weekend
- Mon, May 25
Spring bank holiday
- Free long weekend
3 days off, no leave needed · Sat, May 23 to Mon, May 25
- Best value
4 days off for 1 day of leave · Fri, May 22 to Mon, May 25
Take off: Fri, May 22
- Longest break
10 days off for 5 days of leave · Sat, May 16 to Mon, May 25
Take off: Mon, May 18 to Fri, May 22
- Free long weekend
- Fri, Dec 25 and Mon, Dec 28
Christmas Day, Boxing Day
- Free long weekend
4 days off, no leave needed · Fri, Dec 25 to Mon, Dec 28
- Best value
5 days off for 1 day of leave · Thu, Dec 24 to Mon, Dec 28
Take off: Thu, Dec 24
- Longest break
18 days off for 9 days of leave · Thu, Dec 17 to Sun, Jan 3
Take off: Thu, Dec 17, Fri, Dec 18, Mon, Dec 21 to Thu, Dec 24, and Tue, Dec 29 to Thu, Dec 31
- Free long weekend
Plan your leave for 2026
Tell it how many days of leave you have. It picks the breaks that give the most days off in a row.
31 days off in 5 breaks
Uses 10 days of leave
- Thu, Jan 1 to Sun, Jan 44 days off for 1 day of leave
- Sat, Mar 28 to Sun, Apr 59 days off for 4 days of leave
- Fri, May 1 to Mon, May 44 days off for 1 day of leave
- Fri, May 22 to Mon, May 254 days off for 1 day of leave
- Fri, Dec 25 to Sun, Jan 310 days off for 3 days of leave
2026 at a glance
Public holidays in the United Kingdom, 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1Thursday | Thursday | New Year's Day | Nationwide |
| January 2Friday | Friday | 2 January | Scotland |
| March 17Tuesday | Tuesday | St Patrick’s Day | Northern Ireland |
| April 3Friday | Friday | Good Friday | Nationwide |
| April 6Monday | Monday | Easter Monday | England, Northern Ireland, and Wales |
| May 4Monday | Monday | Early May bank holiday | Nationwide |
| May 25Monday | Monday | Spring bank holiday | Nationwide |
| June 15Monday | Monday | World Cup bank holiday | Scotland |
| July 12Sunday | Sunday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day), Falls on a weekend | Northern Ireland |
| July 13Monday | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day) | Northern Ireland |
| August 3Monday | Monday | Summer bank holiday | Scotland |
| August 31Monday | Monday | Summer bank holiday | England, Northern Ireland, and Wales |
| November 30Monday | Monday | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland |
| December 25Friday | Friday | Christmas Day | Nationwide |
| December 26Saturday | Saturday | Boxing Day, Falls on a weekend | Nationwide |
| December 28Monday | Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Nationwide |
Turn Christmas Day into a trip
Plan the days, the stays and the bookings in one itinerary, with your group, on Waiz.
Long weekends in the United Kingdom: questions
There are 6 nationwide public holidays in the United Kingdom in 2026, 6 of them on a weekday. Regions add their own, from 8 to 10 in total depending on where you work.
Taking 1 day of leave off around Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Thu, Dec 24) gives you 5 days off in a row.
Spend leave next to public holidays that fall on a Tuesday, Thursday or a Monday or Friday next to a weekend. With 10 days of leave of leave, the planner above finds 31 days off in 2026.
Holiday dates from the date-holidays project (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against official government sources. Company agreements and contracts can add or move days off; check yours before booking.
