UK Bank Holidays 2025: Essential Dates To Remember

As the new year approaches, there are many good reasons to inform yourself of the bank holidays across the UK. With bank holidays affecting businesses, schools, and transportation, knowing what’s coming ahead of time will ensure you’re best prepared. They also provide the perfect opportunity to take a longer break from work by planning a holiday around the long weekends.

Each of the four countries in the United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland – has its own bank holidays. So while there are some holidays that are celebrated across the UK, it’s important to know the regional differences, especially if you have colleagues, business partners, or friends and family in other UK nations.

What You Need To Know About UK Bank Holidays

Bank holidays in the UK have various origins; they may be religious, cultural, or historical. There have been cases of bank holidays being moved to mark special occasions. One example of this is the Spring Bank Holiday, which was moved to early June in 2002, 2012, and 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilees. From time to time, an additional bank holiday may be declared, as was the case in April 2011 for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Another characteristic of UK bank holidays is that they ‘roll over’ if they fall on a weekend. For example, in years when Christmas Day or Boxing Day fall on a Saturday or Sunday, there will be a substitute day on the following Monday. This is not the case in some other countries in Europe, such as Germany and the Netherlands.

Businesses in the UK are not required to give staff paid time off on bank holidays, unless it’s specifically stated in their employment contract. Full-time employees are, however, entitled to a minimum of 28 days of paid annual leave, and this may include bank holidays.

What’s the Difference Between a Public Holiday and a Bank Holiday?

In the UK, a bank holiday refers to a national public holiday. This differs slightly from the Republic of Ireland, where some bank holidays are not public holidays, even though the former is often used colloquially.

The term bank holiday originates from the fact that banks would be closed for business on these days. Over time, it has come to be the more common term for any public holiday in the UK. Most other countries don’t differentiate between the two terms, referring to them as public holidays, federal holidays (in the USA), or national holidays.

Bank Holiday Opening Hours and Wages

Contrary to popular belief, employers are not required to pay employees an increased wage on bank holidays. However, it is common for employees to receive time-and-a-half or even double time for pitching in on public holidays, especially in the retail and restaurant industries. Offering an incentive like this is a good way to improve employee satisfaction and make sure you have sufficient cover for busy holiday periods. Just be sure to formalise bank holiday pay agreements in your employment contract to avoid any conflicts in the future.

In addition, large shops (more than 280 square metres in size) in England and Wales are required to close on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. They may, however, open on other public holidays, as long as they stick to Sunday trading hours (maximum of six consecutive hour between 10am and 6pm). Small shops are not affected by these restrictions, and trading hours do not apply to businesses in Scotland. There are a number of exemptions, which you can find on the gov.uk website.

Overall, the best approach is for business owners to consider the needs of their staff as well as their customers. Opening on public holidays can be lucrative for retailers, restaurants, and pubs, which is why many choose to give their hardworking staff extra pay for being available on these days. Expectations and shift plans should be communicated well in advance to ensure that there are enough employees on hand to keep things running smoothly.

UK Bank Holidays 2025

*Holiday falls on a weekend. The dates shown here are the substitute days.

2025 Bank Holiday Dates for England & Wales

Early Year Holidays

In 2025, you can ease into the year with New Year's Day on Wednesday 1 January. Unfortunately, 2 January is not a bank holiday in England and Wales, so you will have to wait until Easter for your next bank holiday. While it isn’t a public holiday, you might want to make a note of Valentine’s Day on Friday 14 February and Mother's Day on Sunday 30 March. In 2025, this is also the day when the clocks go forward for daylight savings

Mid-Year Holidays

Spring is a good season for bank holidays in England and Wales. However, with Easter falling relatively late in 2025, you’ll have to wait until 18 April for Good Friday. This is followed by Easter Monday on 21 April. Next up are the Early May Bank Holiday on Monday 5 May and the Spring Bank Holiday on Monday 26 May.

With the arrival of summer, the Summer Bank Holiday provides a well-deserved break on Monday 25 August. And although it’s not a public holiday, it’s also worth remembering Father’s Day on 15 June 2025.

Autumn and Winter Holidays

As the year progresses, you can enjoy Halloween on Friday 31 October and mark Remembrance Sunday on 9 November, but these occasions are not bank holidays. You will also get an extra hour in bed as daylight saving time ends on Sunday 26 October 2025.

The last public holidays of 2025 are Christmas Day on Thursday 25 December, followed by Boxing Day on Friday 26 December.

2025 Bank Holiday Dates for Scotland

Early Year Holidays

At the beginning of the year, Scotland observes some distinctly regional holidays. Scotland celebrates 2nd January as a bank holiday, making for a two-day holiday event in combination with New Year's Day. While not a public holiday, many Scots celebrate Burns Night on 25 January.

The next bank holidays in Scotland are shared with England and Wales: Good Friday on 18 April, followed by Easter Sunday. Easter Monday, however, is not a nationwide bank holiday although some councils do claim it as one, since local councils in Scotland have the power to make certain days local public holidays.

The Spring Equinox on Thursday 20 March is not an official holiday, but it marks the changing of seasons and is a time of traditional celebration among many Scottish communities.

Mid-Year Holidays

The Early May Bank Holiday on 5 May and Spring Bank Holiday on 26 May are the same as England and Wales, but the Summer Bank Holiday falls earlier in Scotland on Monday 4 August.

End-of-Year Holidays

As the year draws to a close, Scotland celebrates St. Andrew's Day, the feast day of the country’s patron saint. In 2025 the holiday falls on Sunday 30 November, so the bank holiday will take place on the substitute day of Monday 1 December.

While not a public holiday, All Saints' Day is another end-of-year observance, taking place on 1 November, where many remember and honour the saints and other deceased loved ones. Finally, the festive season officially begins with the First Sunday of Advent on 30 November. This leads up to the Christmas holidays which, as in England and Wales, take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day on 25 and 26 December.

2025 Bank Holiday Dates for Northern Ireland

Early Year Holidays

Northern Ireland’s bank holidays differ slightly from its UK neighbours. In the early part of the year there is St. Patrick’s Day, which falls on Monday 17 March in 2025. As the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is an important cultural and religious holiday for people in Northern Ireland.

Mid-Year Holidays

Throughout spring, Northern Ireland observes the same public holidays as England and Wales, with the Easter observances on Friday 18 April and Monday 21 April. Northern Ireland also observes the Early May Bank Holiday and Spring Bank Holiday on 5 May and 26 May, respectively.

The other public holiday specific to Northern Ireland is the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, a significant event in Northern Irish history that occurred in 1690. Otherwise known as Orangemen’s Day or simply The Twelfth, this holiday falls on Saturday 12 July in 2025. As a result, the following Monday 14 July will be a substitute bank holiday.

As in England and Wales, the August Bank Holiday falls on 25 August, signifying the end of the summer.

End-of-Year Holidays

Northern Ireland typically observes the UK-wide Christmas Day and Boxing Day celebrations, enjoying a festive winter break towards the end of the year.

Get Set for 2025

There are a number of peculiarities about bank holidays in the UK, which can catch you out if you’re not used to them. With differences between the British nations, as well as changing dates, occasional additions, and specific rules for businesses, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest.

We recommend planning ahead and checking official websites such as gov.uk to see when the next bank holiday is coming and view a full list of UK holidays for each country.

In a work context, it's also a good idea to have HR software that can help with bank holiday planning. With flair, you can automatically import public holidays for each location your company works in. Not only does this help you to remember when there are holidays approaching, it also helps ensure that employee leave allowances are calculated correctly. You can also use flair to track working time, apply bonus pay to bank holidays, and flexibly plan shifts around busy times.

Efficiently Plan Shifts and Absences Around Bank Holidays

flair's time tracking, absence management, and shift planning features help HR teams to effectively manage staff, even during holiday periods. Get in touch with us to learn more about how flair can help your business.

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