2025 is fast approaching. Doesn’t that sound futuristic? Although we haven’t yet mastered the flying car or friendly robots that aren’t going to take our jobs, we have got something much, much better to look forward to: the bank holidays.
The bank holiday is a tradition which stretches all the way back to 1871 in the UK. Back then, as the name suggests, the idea was that banks would be allowed to close on important holidays, such as Easter and Boxing Day, but these days they’re mostly used by the general public as an excuse to have a lie in, finally get round to deep-cleaning the bathroom, or head to a beer garden with some friends.
Although we actually have very few public holidays compared to some other countries – Spain has 14 to our eight – we like to celebrate accordingly and make the most of what we’ve got. And despite hopeful rumours that we might be getting an extra day off this May or August, we’re still stuck with eight, but if you’re really smart, you can add those days to annual leave to get a whopping 55 days off next year – here’s our guide on how to do that.
Although England and Wales share all of their bank holidays, Scotland and Northern Ireland like to be a little bit different, so they have a few unique ones each. Without further ado, wherever you are in Britain, here is every bank holiday coming your way in 2025.
2025 UK Bank Holidays
England and Wales
Wednesday January 1: New Year’s Day
Friday April 18: Good Friday
Monday April 21: Easter Monday
Monday May 5: May day bank holiday
Monday May 26: Spring bank holiday
Monday August 25: Summer bank holiday
Thursday December 25: Christmas day
Friday December 26: Boxing day
Scotland
Wednesday January 1: New Year’s Day
Thursday January 2: 2nd January
Friday April 18: Good Friday
Monday May 5: May day bank holiday
Monday May 26: Spring bank holiday
Monday August 4: Summer bank holiday
Monday December 1: St Andrew’s Day (substitute day, real day falls on a weekend)
Thursday December 25: Christmas day
Friday December 26: Boxing day
Northern Ireland
Wednesday January 1: New Year’s Day
Monday March 17: St Patrick’s Day
Friday April 18: Good Friday
Monday May 5: May day bank holiday
Monday May 26: Spring bank holiday
Monday July 14: Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) (substitute day, real day falls on a weekend)
Monday August 25: Summer bank holiday
Thursday December 25: Christmas day
Friday December 26: Boxing day
Did you see that a ‘once-in-a-decade’ Northern Lights display could hit the UK in early 2025?
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