Bank holidays: we plan our days off around them to maximise our annual leave; they symbolise celebrations and mark our progress throughout the year, from New Year via Easter all the way through to Christmas Eve. Use them wisely: make that long weekend even longer; turn a short break into a proper reset; spend more time at the beach; have an extra adventure; book a long lunch you’ll still be thinking about come Tuesday; treasure the extra day with your family or friends; or simply relish the solitude of solo travel for 24 more precious hours.
Whether you want ideas for hot and glorious winter-sun destinations or somewhere warm and sunny to spend the summer holidays, find out when the next bank holiday and public holiday dates are and where to go when – and get planning.
2023 Bank Holidays in the UK and Ireland
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, there was a four-day public bank holiday in the UK from Thursday 2 until Sunday 5 June 2022, with many events including street parties and parades. After the sad news of the Queen’s passing on Thursday 8 September, it was announced that the UK would receive another bank holiday on Monday 19 September to mark her funeral.
2023 will see another one-off bank holiday as the country looks to the coronation of King Charles III. This means that the UK will benefit from three bank holidays in May 2023 instead of the usual two.
When is the next bank holiday?
The next bank holiday will be to mark Christmas. As Christmas Day falls on a Sunday in 2022, the bank holiday will be observed on Tuesday 27 December. Monday 26 December will also be a bank holiday to mark Boxing Day.
Bank Holidays 2023 – England and Wales
2 January – New Year’s Day – as New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, the bank holiday gets pushed to the Monday
7 April – Good Friday (Friday)
10 April – Easter Monday (Monday)
1 May – Early May Bank Holiday (Monday)
8 May – King Charles III’s coronation holiday (Monday)
29 May – Spring Bank Holiday (Monday)
28 August – Summer Bank Holiday (Monday)
25 December – Christmas Day (Monday)
26 December – Boxing Day (Tuesday)
Bank Holidays 2023 – Scotland
2 January – New Year’s Day – as New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, the bank holiday gets pushed to the Monday
3 January – Substitute holiday (Tuesday)
7 April – Good Friday (Friday)
1 May – Early May Bank Holiday (Monday)
8 May – King Charles III’s coronation holiday (Monday)
29 May – Spring Bank Holiday (Monday)
7 August – Summer Bank Holiday (Monday)
30 November – St Andrew’s Day (Thursday)
25 December – Christmas Day (Monday)
26 December – Boxing Day (Tuesday)
Bank Holidays 2023 – Northern Ireland
2 January – New Year’s Day – as New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, the bank holiday gets pushed to the Monday
17 March – St Patrick’s Day (Friday)
7 April – Good Friday (Friday)
10 April – Easter Monday (Monday)
1 May – Early May Bank Holiday (Monday)
8 May – King Charles III’s coronation holiday (Monday)
29 May – Spring Bank Holiday (Monday)
12 July – Battle of the Boyne (Wednesday)
28 August – Summer Bank Holiday (Monday)
25 December – Christmas Day (Monday)
26 December – Boxing Day (Tuesday)
Bank Holidays 2023 – Republic of Ireland
1 January – New Year’s Day (Sunday)
6 February – St Brigid’s Day (Monday)
17 March – St Patrick’s Day (Friday)
10 April – Easter Monday (Monday)
1 May – Early May Bank Holiday (Monday)
5 June – June Bank Holiday (Monday)
7 August – Summer Bank Holiday (Monday)
30 October – October Bank Holiday (Monday)
25 December – Christmas Day (Monday)
26 December – St Stephen’s Day / Boxing Day (Tuesday)
