United Kingdom Holidays 2026

Public holidays, observed throughout the United Kingdom, are required holidays when most businesses and non-essential services close down. These holidays were first officially observed when the 1871 Bank Holidays Act designated specific public holidays in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

If a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday is normally postponed to the following week day, which is then referred to as a “substitute public holiday” or an “observed holiday”.