England and Wales get eight bank holidays in 2027, and almost every one lands on a Monday or a Friday once the Christmas substitutes are counted. That makes this a long-weekend year: stack a day or two of leave next to each holiday and the calendar fills up fast. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own lists; this guide sticks to England and Wales.
Every England and Wales bank holiday in 2027
New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027, Good Friday on Friday 26 March 2027, Easter Monday on Monday 29 March 2027, Early May Bank Holiday on Monday 3 May 2027, Spring Bank Holiday on Monday 31 May 2027, Summer Bank Holiday on Monday 30 August 2027, Christmas Day (substitute day) on Monday 27 December 2027 and Boxing Day (substitute day) on Tuesday 28 December 2027. That is 8 weekday bank holidays. The UK 2027 calendar shows them month by month. For Scotland see the Scotland bank holidays guide; for Northern Ireland see the Northern Ireland guide.
Your 2027 at a glance
This is where 10 days of leave go furthest across the England and Wales calendar. Each page is one break.
United Kingdom)One page for each break, in date order. Hover or tap a page for the days to book.
All 10 breaks in words
Fri 1 Jan – Mon 4 Jan 2027
New Year's Day
Book 1 day off: Mon 4 Jan 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 1 Jan 2027 to Mon 4 Jan 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 8 Jan – Sun 10 Jan 2027
Long weekend
Book 1 day off: Fri 8 Jan 2027.
You get 3 days off in a row, from Fri 8 Jan 2027 to Sun 10 Jan 2027.
3× your leave
Fri 15 Jan – Sun 17 Jan 2027
Long weekend
Book 1 day off: Fri 15 Jan 2027.
You get 3 days off in a row, from Fri 15 Jan 2027 to Sun 17 Jan 2027.
3× your leave
Fri 22 Jan – Sun 24 Jan 2027
Long weekend
Book 1 day off: Fri 22 Jan 2027.
You get 3 days off in a row, from Fri 22 Jan 2027 to Sun 24 Jan 2027.
3× your leave
Thu 25 Mar – Mon 29 Mar 2027
Good Friday & Easter Monday
Book 1 day off: Thu 25 Mar 2027.
You get 5 days off in a row, from Thu 25 Mar 2027 to Mon 29 Mar 2027.
5× your leave
Fri 30 Apr – Mon 3 May 2027
Early May Bank Holiday
Book 1 day off: Fri 30 Apr 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 30 Apr 2027 to Mon 3 May 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 28 May – Mon 31 May 2027
Spring Bank Holiday
Book 1 day off: Fri 28 May 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 28 May 2027 to Mon 31 May 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 27 Aug – Mon 30 Aug 2027
Summer Bank Holiday
Book 1 day off: Fri 27 Aug 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 27 Aug 2027 to Mon 30 Aug 2027.
4× your leave
Fri 24 Dec – Tue 28 Dec 2027
Christmas Day & Boxing Day
Book 1 day off: Fri 24 Dec 2027.
You get 5 days off in a row, from Fri 24 Dec 2027 to Tue 28 Dec 2027.
5× your leave
Fri 31 Dec 2027 – Mon 3 Jan 2028
New Year's Day
Book 1 day off: Fri 31 Dec 2027.
You get 4 days off in a row, from Fri 31 Dec 2027 to Mon 3 Jan 2028.
4× your leave
New Year and the quiet January
New Year's Day is Friday 1 January 2027, a Friday. If you are still off from 2026, one more day lets you book 1 day off (Thu 31 Dec 2026) and get 4 days off in a row (Thu 31 Dec 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027). With four days you can book 4 days off (Wed 30 and Thu 31 Dec 2026 and Mon 4 and Tue 5 Jan 2027) and get 7 days off in a row (Wed 30 Dec 2026 – Tue 5 Jan 2027).
Easter: the first big stretch
Good Friday is Friday 26 March 2027 and Easter Monday is Monday 29 March 2027. The weekend in between is already free, so the leave goes on either side. Four days before Good Friday lets you book 4 days off (Mon 22, Tue 23, Wed 24 and Thu 25 Mar 2027) and get 10 days off in a row (Sat 20 Mar – Mon 29 Mar 2027). For a longer spring break:
Book off: Mon 22, Tue 23, Wed 24, Thu 25, Tue 30 and Wed 31 Mar 2027 and Thu 1 and Fri 2 Apr 2027.
Bank holidayBook offWeekend
The three Monday bank holidays
Early May is Monday 3 May 2027, Spring is Monday 31 May 2027 and Summer is Monday 2 August 2027. Each is a free three-day weekend. One day of leave on the Tuesday turns any of them into four days; four days of leave turns any of them into a nine-day break:
- Early May: book 4 days off (Tue 4, Wed 5, Thu 6 and Fri 7 May 2027) and get 9 days off in a row (Sat 1 May – Sun 9 May 2027)
- Spring: book 4 days off (Tue 1, Wed 2, Thu 3 and Fri 4 Jun 2027) and get 9 days off in a row (Sat 29 May – Sun 6 Jun 2027)
- Summer: book 4 days off (Tue 31 Aug 2027 and Wed 1, Thu 2 and Fri 3 Sep 2027) and get 9 days off in a row (Sat 28 Aug – Sun 5 Sep 2027)
Christmas 2027: the best long stretch
Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a Saturday and Sunday, so the bank holidays move to Monday 27 December 2027 and Tuesday 28 December 2027. Three days of leave lets you book 3 days off (Wed 29, Thu 30 and Fri 31 Dec 2027) and get 10 days off in a row (Sat 25 Dec 2027 – Mon 3 Jan 2028). Eight days lets you book 8 days off (Mon 20, Tue 21, Wed 22, Thu 23, Fri 24, Wed 29, Thu 30 and Fri 31 Dec 2027) and get 17 days off in a row (Sat 18 Dec 2027 – Mon 3 Jan 2028).
Book off: Wed 29, Thu 30 and Fri 31 Dec 2027.
Bank holidayBook offWeekend
Bank holidays vs your leave balance
A bank holiday is only a day off if your contract says so. Many employers fold the eight England and Wales bank holidays into the statutory 28-day entitlement, which leaves you about 20 days to place yourself (GOV.UK holiday entitlement). Confirm that before you treat every Monday above as "free". Dates are published on the GOV.UK bank holidays list.
Default booking notice is twice the leave length plus one day (three days' notice for one day off), unless your contract sets different rules (GOV.UK: booking time off).
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends are there in 2027 in England and Wales?
The bank holidays give 6 free long weekends without leave. Add one day next to any Monday holiday and you get a four-day weekend on top.
When is the Early May bank holiday 2027?
It is Monday 3 May 2027.
Do Scotland and Northern Ireland have the same long weekends?
No. Scotland has no Easter Monday and adds 2 January and St Andrew's Day; Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne. Use their planners for the local list.
When is the Summer bank holiday 2027 in England?
It is Monday 2 August 2027, the last Monday of August. Scotland's is at the start of August.
Plan your own 2027
Open the UK plannerHow to maximise annual leave in 2027 (UK)
How we work it out. Every date and number here comes from our holiday data, checked against official government sources (see About). Always confirm days off with your employer.