United Kingdom Holidays and Festivals: Holiday Calendar
Calendar
| Holiday | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Affected |
| New Year’s Day | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 | g, b, o some r |
| Valentine’s Day | Feb. 14 | Feb. 14 | Feb. 14 | none |
| St. David’s Day (National Day of Wales) (W) | March 1 | March 1 | March 1 | none |
| Mothering Sunday (Mother’s Day) | March 10 | March 30 | March 15 | none |
| St. Patrick’s Day (National Day of Ireland) (NI) | March 17 | March 17 | March 17 | g, b, o, r (Northern Ireland) |
| April Fool’s Day | April 1 | April 1 | April 1 | none |
| Good Friday | March 29 | April 18 | April 3 | g, b, o some r |
| Easter Sunday | March 31 | April 20 | April 5 | g, b, o, r |
| Easter Monday (E, W, NI) | April 1 | April 21 | April 6 | g, b, o, some r (only in affected regions) |
| St. George’s Day (National Day of England) (E) | April 23 | April 23 | April 23 | none |
| Early May Bank Holiday (May Day, Garland Day) | First Monday of May | First Monday of May | First Monday of May | g, b, o, some r |
| Spring Bank Holiday | Last Monday of May | Last Monday of May | Last Monday of May | g, b, o, some r |
| King's Birthday | June 15 | TBD | TBD | none |
| Orangeman’s Day/Battle of the Boyne (NI) | July 12 | July 12 | July 12 | g, b, o, r (Northern Ireland only) |
| Summer Bank Holiday (E, W, NI) | Last Monday in August | Last Monday in August | Last Monday in August | b; some o, some r in affected regions |
| Guy Fawkes Day (E) | Nov. 5 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 5 | none |
| Christmas Day | Dec. 25 | Dec. 25 | Dec. 25 | g, b, o, r |
| Boxing Day | Dec. 26 | Dec. 26 | Dec. 26 | g, b, o, r |
Note: Holidays that fall on weekends are often moved to the following Monday.
Key:
g = government offices and institutions
b = banks and financial institutions
o = non-retail businesses/offices
r = retail businesses
TBD = To be determined
Glastonbury Festival
Date(s):
Five days in June
Closures:
None
Description:
This festival of contemporary performing arts takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. It features music, dance, comedy, theater, circus, cabaret, and other arts.
Background:
Regarded as a major event in British culture, the festival is inspired by the ethos of the hippie, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the free-festival movement.
How Celebrated:
Festival goers can watch a variety of performances on multiple stages throughout the grounds as well as enjoy food and camping.
Lord Mayor’s Show
Date(s):
Varies in the month of November
Closures:
None
Description:
An 800-year-old tradition in which the Lord Mayor of London travels through the City of London to Westminster to swear allegiance to the Crown
Background:
The Lord Mayor’s Show is an annual procession that originated in 1215 when King John authorized the residents of the City of London to elect their own mayor, provided that the new mayor must appear before the king at Westminster and take an oath of loyalty.
How Celebrated:
On the day of the Lord Mayor’s Show, all roads are closed. Thousands participate in the parade, including marching bands, servicemen, and business and trade organizations. Floats, vehicles, carriages, and the city’s traditional guardians, the wicker giants Gog and Magog, add color to the nearly 5-kilometer-long (3-mile-long) procession. The event starts with aerobatics by the RAF, followed by a two-minute silence in homage to veterans. The procession then winds through the streets of the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice. Here, the Lord Mayor pledges allegiance to the British monarch before the Lord Chief Justice and the Judges of the Queen’s Bench Division. The procession then proceeds to Mansion House where the Lord Mayor is greeted by the Livery Company Masters and City Aldermen. In the early evening, the new Lord Mayor launches a grand fireworks display from a barge on the Thames to celebrate the commencement of his year in office.
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