May Bank Holidays 2026: Dates for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
The UK has two public holidays (bank holidays) in May 2026 — the Early May bank holiday on Monday 4 May and the Spring bank holiday on Monday 25 May. Both fall on the same dates across all four UK nations.
Early May bank holiday
Monday 4 May 2026
First Monday in May
Spring bank holiday
Monday 25 May 2026
Last Monday in May
May is the most bank holiday-dense month in the UK calendar. With two separate public holidays — the Early May bank holiday on 4 May and the Spring bank holiday on 25 May — most workers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland receive two three-day weekends within the same month. Unlike most other UK bank holidays, both May dates are identical across all four nations in 2026.
May 2026 bank holiday dates
Early May bank holiday — Monday 4 May 2026
The Early May bank holiday always falls on the first Monday of May. In 2026 that is 4 May. It is observed across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the same date. The holiday was introduced in 1978 and replaced the old Whit Monday observance, which had moved around the calendar depending on Easter. Despite the name, it does not always fall on 1 May — it falls on whichever Monday is first in May, which ranges between 1 May and 7 May depending on the year.
In 2026, 1 May falls on a Friday. The first Monday of May is therefore 4 May, giving a three-day weekend from Saturday 2 May to Monday 4 May.
Spring bank holiday — Monday 25 May 2026
The Spring bank holiday always falls on the last Monday of May. In 2026 that is 25 May. It is observed across all four UK nations. It is sometimes called the Whitsun holiday — a name that traces its origins to Whit Monday, the Monday after Whit Sunday (Pentecost), which was a traditional public holiday in England before the banking holiday system was modernised under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971.
The Spring bank holiday is normally fixed to the last Monday of May, but the government has moved it in exceptional years. In 2002 it was moved for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, and in 2022 it was shifted from 30 May to 2 June to create a four-day Platinum Jubilee weekend. No such change applies in 2026 — the date is 25 May.
Both May bank holidays fall on the same dates in all four UK nations in 2026. This makes May unusual — most other bank holidays diverge between nations. Scotland's Summer bank holiday, for example, falls four weeks earlier than England's. The two May holidays are among the few dates where the entire UK takes the same day off simultaneously.
May 2026 long weekends
Both May bank holidays fall on Mondays, creating two three-day weekends in the same month. For workers who can book annual leave around them, May also offers opportunities to extend either weekend further.
The first long weekend runs from Saturday 2 May to Monday 4 May. Taking Tuesday 5 May as annual leave extends it to a four-day break from Saturday to Tuesday. Taking the full week of 5–8 May as annual leave creates a nine-day break using only four days of annual leave.
The second long weekend runs from Saturday 23 May to Monday 25 May. Taking the preceding week of 18–22 May as annual leave, combined with the bank holiday, creates a ten-day break from Saturday 16 May to Monday 25 May using only five days of annual leave. This is one of the most efficient annual leave opportunities of the year.
Why does the UK have two bank holidays in May?
The two May bank holidays are the result of separate decisions made at different points in the history of the UK bank holiday system. The Spring bank holiday was established under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 as a replacement for Whit Monday — the traditional day off associated with Whitsuntide, the week following Whit Sunday (Pentecost). By fixing it to the last Monday of May rather than tying it to the moveable Easter calendar, the 1971 Act gave it a predictable date each year.
The Early May bank holiday was added separately in 1978 by the Labour government, partly in recognition of the international tradition of May Day as a workers' holiday (observed on 1 May in many European countries). By fixing it to the first Monday of May rather than 1 May itself, the government ensured it always fell on a Monday and created a long weekend rather than a midweek day off. The two holidays have coexisted ever since, giving England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland two of their eight (or nine, or ten) annual bank holidays in the same month.
May bank holiday guides by nation
Both May dates are the same across all four nations. The nation-specific guides below cover the full bank holiday context for each nation — including all other 2026 dates, nation differences, and employment rights.
May bank holidays and work
There is no automatic legal right to take bank holidays off in the UK. Whether you receive the May bank holidays as paid days off depends on your employment contract. Your employer must provide a minimum of 5.6 weeks of annual leave per year and may include bank holidays within that figure or grant them as additional days. Both approaches are legal — your contract must specify which applies.
For expats who are new to the UK and approaching their first May bank holidays, it is worth checking your contract before 4 May. If your contract says "25 days plus bank holidays," the May bank holidays are additional paid days. If it states a single total figure such as "33 days," bank holidays are likely included within that number. If your contract was issued by an employer based outside the UK, clarify which bank holiday calendar it refers to — some contracts issued by international companies do not automatically default to UK bank holidays. For more on employment rights in the UK, see our Working in the UK section.
May stands out in the UK working calendar in a way that is genuinely useful to know about when you first arrive. Two bank holidays in the same month, both on Mondays, both shared across every nation — it is the most straightforward and universally applicable part of the bank holiday calendar. There are no substitute days, no nation differences, no historical quirks that create exceptions. Both dates are simply the same for everyone.
For expats who come from countries with more public holidays overall, May's two long weekends may not seem remarkable. For those arriving from countries with fewer, or with public holidays distributed less conveniently through the year, the two May weekends — particularly the opportunity to extend them with targeted annual leave — are worth planning around from the moment you know your holiday allowance.
If you are still planning your move, the UK Relocation Guide covers the practical groundwork, and Visas & Immigration has every UK visa route explained. For things to do over a bank holiday weekend, the Lifestyle and Living sections of the Expat Directory are a good starting point.
Frequently asked questions
There are two May bank holidays in 2026. The Early May bank holiday falls on Monday 4 May 2026 and the Spring bank holiday falls on Monday 25 May 2026. Both are observed across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the same dates.
There are two bank holidays in May 2026 across all UK nations: the Early May bank holiday on Monday 4 May and the Spring bank holiday on Monday 25 May. This gives most workers two separate three-day weekends within the same month.
The Early May bank holiday in 2026 falls on Monday 4 May. It always falls on the first Monday of May. It is observed across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Spring bank holiday in 2026 falls on Monday 25 May. It always falls on the last Monday of May. It is observed across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is sometimes called the Whitsun holiday after the old Christian festival of Whitsuntide.
Yes. Both May bank holidays — 4 May and 25 May — fall on the same dates in Scotland as in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The May dates are among the few bank holidays shared identically across all four UK nations in 2026.
May 2026 has two three-day long weekends for all UK nations. The first runs from Saturday 2 May to Monday 4 May (Early May bank holiday). The second runs from Saturday 23 May to Monday 25 May (Spring bank holiday). Both apply equally in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The UK has two bank holidays in May because the Early May bank holiday and the Spring bank holiday were introduced separately. The Spring bank holiday replaced Whit Monday when the system was modernised under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. The Early May bank holiday was added in 1978. Together they give workers two long weekends in the same month.
No. 1 May 2026 falls on a Friday and is not a bank holiday. The Early May bank holiday always falls on the first Monday of May, which in 2026 is 4 May. Despite the name, it does not always fall on 1 May itself.