Also on Bank Holidays UK: May Bank Holidays 2027: Monday 3 May and Monday 31 May · Battle of the Boyne 2027: Northern Ireland Bank Holiday Date · Bank Holidays 2027 Wales: 8 Dates, Welsh Names and St David’s Day
2029 has 8 bank holidays in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland, and — for the first time since 2025 — not one of the England and Wales dates needs a substitute day. New Year’s Day is a Monday, Christmas Day a Tuesday, Boxing Day a Wednesday, and Easter Sunday falls on 1 April 2029, with Good Friday on 30 March and Easter Monday on 2 April.
UK bank holidays 2029: the full list
| Date | Bank holiday | Eng & Wales | Scotland | N. Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tue 2 Jan | 2nd January | — | ✓ | — |
| Mon 19 Mar | St Patrick’s Day (substitute day — 17 March is a Saturday) | — | — | ✓ |
| Fri 30 Mar | Good Friday | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mon 2 Apr | Easter Monday | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Mon 7 May | Early May bank holiday | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mon 28 May | Spring bank holiday | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thu 12 Jul | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) | — | — | ✓ |
| Mon 6 Aug | Summer bank holiday | — | ✓ | — |
| Mon 27 Aug | Summer bank holiday | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Fri 30 Nov | St Andrew’s Day | — | ✓ | — |
| Tue 25 Dec | Christmas Day | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wed 26 Dec | Boxing Day | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
The only substitute day anywhere in the UK in 2029 is Northern Ireland’s St Patrick’s Day, moved from Saturday 17 to Monday 19 March. Every other holiday falls on a weekday, which also means the usual Christmas bonus of a “free” Monday does not happen: the two Christmas holidays sit in the middle of the week.
Bank holidays 2029 by nation
England and Wales — 8
| # | Date | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 2 | Friday 30 March | Good Friday |
| 3 | Monday 2 April | Easter Monday |
| 4 | Monday 7 May | Early May bank holiday |
| 5 | Monday 28 May | Spring bank holiday |
| 6 | Monday 27 August | Summer bank holiday |
| 7 | Tuesday 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 8 | Wednesday 26 December | Boxing Day |
Scotland — 9
| # | Date | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 2 | Tuesday 2 January | 2nd January |
| 3 | Friday 30 March | Good Friday |
| 4 | Monday 7 May | Early May bank holiday |
| 5 | Monday 28 May | Spring bank holiday |
| 6 | Monday 6 August | Summer bank holiday |
| 7 | Friday 30 November | St Andrew’s Day |
| 8 | Tuesday 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 9 | Wednesday 26 December | Boxing Day |
Scotland begins 2029 with a four-day New Year (Saturday 30 December 2028 to Tuesday 2 January) and gets a long weekend out of St Andrew’s Day for once: Friday 30 November to Sunday 2 December. Local holidays set by councils come on top — see Scotland.
Northern Ireland — 10
| # | Date | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monday 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 2 | Monday 19 March | St Patrick’s Day (substitute day) |
| 3 | Friday 30 March | Good Friday |
| 4 | Monday 2 April | Easter Monday |
| 5 | Monday 7 May | Early May bank holiday |
| 6 | Monday 28 May | Spring bank holiday |
| 7 | Thursday 12 July | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) |
| 8 | Monday 27 August | Summer bank holiday |
| 9 | Tuesday 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 10 | Wednesday 26 December | Boxing Day |
Northern Ireland’s two extra days land awkwardly in 2029: St Patrick’s Day on a Saturday (so a Monday off on the 19th instead) and the Twelfth on a Thursday. See Northern Ireland.
Easter 2029: Sunday 1 April
Easter Sunday 2029 is 1 April — April Fools’ Day, a coincidence last seen in 2018 and next due in 2040. Good Friday is Friday 30 March and Easter Monday is Monday 2 April (England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland works). The clocks go forward the Sunday before, 25 March, so the Easter weekend is on British Summer Time from the start. Orthodox Easter is a week later, on 8 April 2029. Easter Monday to the Early May bank holiday is a five-week gap, exactly as in 2027.
| Day | Date | Bank holiday? |
|---|---|---|
| Good Friday | Friday 30 March 2029 | Yes — whole UK |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday 1 April 2029 | No (a Sunday) |
| Easter Monday | Monday 2 April 2029 | Yes — England, Wales, NI; not Scotland |
Christmas 2029: Tuesday and Wednesday
With Christmas Day on a Tuesday, Monday 24 December is the day to book: one day of leave gives five off (Saturday 22 to Wednesday 26). Thursday 27 and Friday 28 December are working days; so is Monday 31 December, because New Year’s Day 2030 is a Tuesday. The arithmetic:
| Book these days | Leave used | Off from → to | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 24 December | 1 | Sat 22 Dec → Wed 26 Dec | 5 |
| Mon 24, Thu 27, Fri 28 December | 3 | Sat 22 Dec → Sun 30 Dec | 9 |
| Mon 24, Thu 27, Fri 28, Mon 31 December | 4 | Sat 22 Dec → Tue 1 Jan 2030 | 11 |
| Same, plus Wed 2 Jan 2030 (Scotland: 2 January is a holiday there) | 4 (Scotland) | Sat 22 Dec → Wed 2 Jan 2030 | 12 |
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are never bank holidays; employers who shut between Christmas and New Year will usually take the 24th, 27th, 28th and 31st from your allowance. Check how yours handles it — bank holiday entitlement explains the rules.
Long weekends in 2029
| Period | Where | Days off | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 30 Dec 2028 – Mon 1 Jan | All UK | 3 | New Year’s Day on a Monday |
| Sat 30 Dec 2028 – Tue 2 Jan | Scotland | 4 | Plus 2 January |
| Sat 17 – Mon 19 Mar | N. Ireland | 3 | St Patrick’s Day substitute |
| Fri 30 Mar – Mon 2 Apr | Eng, Wales, NI | 4 | Good Friday + Easter Monday |
| Fri 30 Mar – Sun 1 Apr | Scotland | 3 | Good Friday only |
| Sat 5 – Mon 7 May | All UK | 3 | Early May bank holiday |
| Sat 26 – Mon 28 May | All UK | 3 | Spring bank holiday |
| Sat 4 – Mon 6 Aug | Scotland | 3 | Scottish Summer bank holiday |
| Sat 25 – Mon 27 Aug | Eng, Wales, NI | 3 | Summer bank holiday |
| Fri 30 Nov – Sun 2 Dec | Scotland | 3 | St Andrew’s Day on a Friday |
No Christmas long weekend in 2029 without leave — the first time since 2024 that neither Christmas holiday touches a weekend. The two long gaps are 91 days (28 May to 27 August) and 120 days (27 August to 25 December) — a day longer than the 2027 and 2028 autumn stretches. New Year’s Day to Good Friday is 88 days.
Best-value leave bookings in 2029 (England and Wales)
| Book these days | Leave used | You get off | Total days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 26 – Thu 29 March | 4 | Sat 24 Mar → Mon 2 Apr | 10 |
| Tue 3 – Fri 6 April | 4 | Fri 30 Mar → Sun 8 Apr | 10 |
| Tue 8 – Fri 11 May | 4 | Sat 5 → Sun 13 May | 9 |
| Tue 29 May – Fri 1 June | 4 | Sat 26 May → Sun 3 Jun | 9 |
| Tue 28 – Fri 31 August | 4 | Sat 25 Aug → Sun 2 Sep | 9 |
| Mon 24, Thu 27, Fri 28, Mon 31 December | 4 | Sat 22 Dec → Tue 1 Jan 2030 | 11 |
2028, 2029 and 2030 compared
| Bank holiday | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Mon 3 Jan * | Mon 1 Jan | Tue 1 Jan |
| Good Friday | Fri 14 Apr | Fri 30 Mar | Fri 19 Apr |
| Easter Sunday (not a bank holiday) | Sun 16 Apr | Sun 1 Apr | Sun 21 Apr |
| Easter Monday | Mon 17 Apr | Mon 2 Apr | Mon 22 Apr |
| Early May bank holiday | Mon 1 May | Mon 7 May | Mon 6 May |
| Spring bank holiday | Mon 29 May | Mon 28 May | Mon 27 May |
| Summer bank holiday | Mon 28 Aug | Mon 27 Aug | Mon 26 Aug |
| Christmas Day | Mon 25 Dec | Tue 25 Dec | Wed 25 Dec |
| Boxing Day | Tue 26 Dec | Wed 26 Dec | Thu 26 Dec |
* substitute day. Other years: 2028 · 2027 · 2026. The 2030 dates are derived from the statutory rules and have not yet been published by GOV.UK.
Pay and time off
The rules do not change with the calendar: no statutory right to a bank holiday off, no statutory premium for working one, 5.6 weeks of paid leave that may include the bank holidays. What 2029 changes is the shape of the Christmas week — see bank holiday pay, working on bank holidays and the pay calculator. 2029 has 261 weekdays and therefore 253 working days in England and Wales.
Frequently asked questions about 2029 bank holidays
How many bank holidays are there in 2029?
8 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland, 10 in Northern Ireland — 13 different dates across the UK.
When is Easter 2029?
Easter Sunday is 1 April 2029. Good Friday is Friday 30 March and Easter Monday is Monday 2 April 2029 (not a bank holiday in Scotland).
Are there any substitute days in 2029?
Only one, in Northern Ireland: St Patrick’s Day falls on Saturday 17 March, so the bank holiday is Monday 19 March. In England, Wales and Scotland every 2029 bank holiday falls on its own date.
Is 24 December 2029 a bank holiday?
No. Monday 24 December 2029 is a working day; Christmas Day (Tuesday 25) and Boxing Day (Wednesday 26) are the bank holidays.
Is 27 December 2029 a bank holiday?
No. Thursday 27 and Friday 28 December 2029 are working days, as is Monday 31 December. New Year’s Day 2030 is Tuesday 1 January.
When is the Early May bank holiday 2029?
Monday 7 May 2029 — the latest date it can fall, because 1 May 2029 is a Tuesday.
When is the August bank holiday 2029?
Monday 27 August 2029 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Monday 6 August in Scotland.
Are the 2029 dates confirmed?
They follow directly from the statutory rules (fixed dates, the Easter calculation, and the first/last-Monday rules) and are not expected to change. GOV.UK normally publishes each year’s dataset about two years ahead; we will re-check this page when the 2029 data appears.