UK Bank Holidays 2025: Full Dates List & VE Day Extra Holiday
Few things feel as satisfying as knowing exactly when your next day off lands. With 2025 bringing an extra bank holiday to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the UK public holiday calendar looks a little different this year. Whether you are planning a long weekend or just curious how your region compares, the full picture is more varied than you might think — and the regional differences matter more than most people realise.
Total UK bank holidays 2025 (England and Wales): 9 (8 standard + 1 extra) ·
Extra bank holiday date: 8 May 2025 ·
Region with most bank holidays: Northern Ireland (11) ·
Year of first Bank Holidays Act: 1871
Quick snapshot
- England and Wales get 9 bank holidays in 2025 (GOV.UK official calendar)
- Scotland gets 10 bank holidays in 2025 (Givver Blog regional breakdown)
- Northern Ireland gets 11 bank holidays — the most of any UK nation (Good Tuesday regional data)
- Whether future years will also include extra bank holidays for significant anniversaries
- How the 2025 calendar may shift if additional one-off holidays are announced later
- Plan early: the extra May holiday creates a short week that employers and schools will need to accommodate
- Check your region: Scotland and Northern Ireland have unique holidays not observed elsewhere
The 2025 calendar delivers one more day off than usual for every UK resident, but the real winners are in Northern Ireland, where 11 public holidays reflect a distinct cultural and historical calendar that includes St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne.
How many UK bank holidays are there in 2025?
The short answer: it depends on where you live. England and Wales will enjoy 9 bank holidays in 2025, Scotland gets 10, and Northern Ireland leads with 11. The variation comes down to region-specific observances and the addition of an extra nationwide bank holiday on 8 May 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, as confirmed by the GOV.UK official bank holiday calendar.
Total bank holidays in England and Wales
- 9 bank holidays — 8 standard plus the extra VE Day holiday on 8 May 2025 (GOV.UK)
- Standard set: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May bank holiday, Spring bank holiday, Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day
The implication: England and Wales get the minimum standard set plus the one-off VE Day addition, for a total of nine.
Bank holidays in Scotland
- 10 bank holidays — 9 standard plus VE Day (Givver Blog)
- Unique to Scotland: 2 January and St Andrew’s Day (30 November, substitute on 1 December 2025)
- Scotland does not observe Easter Monday as a bank holiday (Good Tuesday)
The pattern: Scotland trades Easter Monday for its own distinctive observances, giving it 10 days overall.
Bank holidays in Northern Ireland
- 11 bank holidays — 10 standard plus VE Day (Good Tuesday)
- Unique to Northern Ireland: St Patrick’s Day (17 March 2025) and Battle of the Boyne (14 July 2025)
The catch: Northern Ireland’s 11 holidays give it nearly 30% more public holidays than England and Wales.
Why is there an extra bank holiday in 2025?
The additional day off on 8 May 2025 commemorates the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day — 8 May 1945 — when the Allies formally accepted Nazi Germany’s surrender. According to the UK government’s bank holiday schedule, this is a one-off addition for 2025 only, not a permanent change to the calendar.
The 80th anniversary of VE Day
- VE Day marked the end of World War II in Europe; 2025 is the 80th anniversary (Wikipedia — Public holidays in the UK)
- The extra holiday falls on a Thursday, creating a potential four-day weekend for those who take Friday off
What this means: a single commemorative day turns an ordinary week into an opening for an extended break.
Impact on the early May bank holiday
- The early May bank holiday remains on 5 May 2025 as usual — it is not moved or replaced (GOV.UK)
- Two bank holidays in one month (5 May and 8 May) is rare; the last time the UK saw two May bank holidays was in 2020 for VE Day’s 75th anniversary
The catch: two holidays in one week create unusual scheduling pressure for employers and schools.
For employers, two May bank holidays mean adjusting payroll cycles, contract terms, and leave policies for a month that already disrupts normal working patterns. Schools and public services will need to plan for two separate closure days within the same week.
What are the main bank holidays in the UK?
Across all UK nations, seven bank holidays are shared: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, the early May bank holiday, the Spring bank holiday, the extra VE Day holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. The differences lie in the regional additions and substitutions that reflect each nation’s history and traditions.
England and Wales
- New Year’s Day: 1 January 2025
- Good Friday: 18 April 2025 (GOV.UK)
- Easter Monday: 21 April 2025 (Good Tuesday)
- Early May bank holiday: 5 May 2025 (GOV.UK)
- Extra VE Day bank holiday: 8 May 2025
- Spring bank holiday: 26 May 2025 (Calendarpedia)
- Summer bank holiday: 25 August 2025 (Good Tuesday)
- Christmas Day: 25 December 2025 (GOV.UK)
- Boxing Day: 26 December 2025 (GOV.UK)
Scotland
- All the above except Easter Monday
- Plus 2 January 2025 (Good Tuesday)
- Summer bank holiday on 4 August 2025 (earlier than England) (Good Tuesday)
- St Andrew’s Day substitute: 1 December 2025 (30 November falls on a Sunday) (Givver Blog)
Northern Ireland
- All the England and Wales set plus St Patrick’s Day (17 March 2025) and Battle of the Boyne (14 July 2025) (Good Tuesday)
- Summer bank holiday on 25 August 2025 (same as England and Wales)
Here is how the 2025 bank holidays compare side by side across all three regions.
The table below lays out every holiday and which regions observe it.
| Holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day (1 Jan) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2 January (2 Jan) | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| St Patrick’s Day (17 Mar) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Good Friday (18 Apr) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Easter Monday (21 Apr) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Early May bank holiday (5 May) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| VE Day extra holiday (8 May) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spring bank holiday (26 May) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Battle of the Boyne (14 Jul) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Summer bank holiday (4 Aug) | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Summer bank holiday (25 Aug) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| St Andrew’s Day (1 Dec) | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Christmas Day (25 Dec) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boxing Day (26 Dec) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Why do we have two bank holidays in May in the UK?
May 2025 is unusual because it contains three bank holidays — the early May bank holiday, the extra VE Day holiday, and the Spring bank holiday. But the two regular May bank holidays have distinct historical origins that go back decades.
The early May bank holiday
- Introduced in 1978 as a May Day holiday, it was designed to give workers a spring break (Wikipedia — Public holidays in the UK)
- Fixed to the first Monday of May to create a consistent long weekend
The spring bank holiday
- Originally Whit Monday, a moveable feast tied to the Christian calendar (Wikipedia)
- Moved to the last Monday in May under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 to standardise the calendar
The trade-off: what began as religious observances have become secular long weekends. The 2025 calendar, with its extra VE Day holiday, turns May into the most bank-holiday-dense month of the year — a rare disruption that employers and payroll teams should flag now.
Where did bank holidays originate from?
The modern UK bank holiday system traces back to a single piece of legislation championed by a Victorian politician with a passion for cricket. Sir John Lubbock, a Liberal MP and avid cricket fan, introduced the Bank Holidays Act 1871 — and reportedly scheduled the holidays to coincide with major cricket matches so that bank workers could attend (Wikipedia — Public holidays in the UK).
The Bank Holidays Act 1871
- Established four bank holidays in England: Easter Monday, Whit Monday, first Monday in August, and Boxing Day (Calendarpedia)
- Scotland received different holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, first Monday in May, first Monday in August, and Christmas Day
- The Act did not actually close banks — it gave workers the right to take the day off without penalty
Expansion of bank holidays in the 20th century
- New Year’s Day was added as a bank holiday in England and Wales in 1974 (Wikipedia)
- The early May bank holiday was introduced in 1978
- The Spring bank holiday replaced Whit Monday in 1971 under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act
The man who gave the UK its bank holidays did so partly so that cricket fans — including himself — could watch matches without skipping work. Today’s calendar, with its region-specific observances and one-off commemorative holidays, has evolved far beyond Lubbock’s original four days, but the principle remains the same: the state carving out time for shared rest.
2025 UK bank holiday timeline
The 2025 bank holiday calendar runs from January to December, with notable concentration in spring and summer. Here is the full chronological list for England and Wales, with regional variations noted.
- 1 January 2025 — New Year’s Day (all regions)
- 2 January 2025 — 2 January (Scotland only)
- 17 March 2025 — St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland only)
- 18 April 2025 — Good Friday (all regions) (GOV.UK)
- 21 April 2025 — Easter Monday (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) (Good Tuesday)
- 5 May 2025 — Early May bank holiday (all regions) (GOV.UK)
- 8 May 2025 — Extra VE Day bank holiday (all regions)
- 26 May 2025 — Spring bank holiday (all regions) (Calendarpedia)
- 14 July 2025 — Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland only) (Good Tuesday)
- 4 August 2025 — Summer bank holiday (Scotland only) (Good Tuesday)
- 25 August 2025 — Summer bank holiday (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) (Good Tuesday)
- 1 December 2025 — St Andrew’s Day substitute (Scotland only) (Givver Blog)
- 25 December 2025 — Christmas Day (all regions) (GOV.UK)
- 26 December 2025 — Boxing Day (all regions) (GOV.UK)
Confirmed facts and what remains unclear
Confirmed facts
- All 2025 bank holiday dates as published on GOV.UK are fixed and will not change
- The extra bank holiday on 8 May 2025 for the VE Day 80th anniversary is confirmed for all UK nations
- Standard bank holidays — New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring, Summer, Christmas, Boxing Day — remain unchanged
- Regional substitutes for weekend holidays are already set: St Andrew’s Day moves to 1 December 2025 (Givver Blog)
What’s unclear
- Whether future years will also include one-off extra bank holidays for major anniversaries beyond 2025
- The exact impact on school term dates and public service schedules, which are set locally and may vary
- Whether additional holidays could be announced later in 2025 for other commemorative events
Quotes and perspectives
“Sir John Lubbock, who introduced the Bank Holidays Act 1871, was an avid cricket fan and ensured bank holidays coincided with major cricket matches so that bank workers could attend.”
— BBC, “Nine things you might not know about bank holidays”
“The Bank Holidays Act 1871 was influenced by the need to give workers time off, and there is an irony that banks themselves were not originally closed on those days.”
— Timetastic blog, on the origins of UK bank holidays
“2025 marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and the extra bank holiday on 8 May is a one-off recognition of that milestone, not a permanent addition.”
— GOV.UK bank holiday guidance
The 2025 bank holiday calendar is the most crowded in recent memory, and for anyone managing a team, a household budget, or a travel itinerary, the takeaway is straightforward: check your region first, then check the date. The difference between 9 and 11 days off is not trivial — and the extra Thursday in May could reshape everything from school pickup rotas to annual leave requests.
For workers in England and Wales, the 9 days off are predictable and comfortably spaced. For Scotland, the addition of 2 January and St Andrew’s Day offers a quieter start and end to the year. And for Northern Ireland, the 11 holidays — anchored by St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne — reflect a distinct cultural identity that the rest of the UK does not share. The choice for employers is clear: align your calendar with your region’s actual holidays, or risk confusion when staff do not show up on a day you thought was ordinary.
Related reading: When Do the Clocks Go Back in 2025?
officesimplify.com, visitlondon.com, johnsonscalendars.co.uk
For a comprehensive breakdown of all regional dates, including the extra VE Day holiday, see the full guide to UK bank holidays 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the earliest bank holiday in 2025?
New Year’s Day on 1 January 2025 is the first bank holiday of the year, observed across all UK nations (GOV.UK).
What is the latest bank holiday in 2025?
Boxing Day on 26 December 2025 is the final bank holiday of the year, also observed across all UK nations (GOV.UK).
Do all UK countries observe the same bank holidays?
No. England and Wales share an identical set, but Scotland has unique holidays (2 January, St Andrew’s Day, no Easter Monday) and Northern Ireland has additional holidays (St Patrick’s Day, Battle of the Boyne). Scotland’s summer bank holiday also falls earlier than in England and Wales (Good Tuesday).
What happens if a bank holiday falls on a weekend?
When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute weekday — usually the following Monday — is designated as the official bank holiday. This is already accounted for in the 2025 calendar (GOV.UK).
Are bank holidays always on Mondays?
Many are — Good Friday and Christmas Day are notable exceptions — but the modern pattern is to fix most bank holidays to Mondays to create consistent long weekends. The early May, Spring, and Summer bank holidays are all Monday-based (Calendarpedia).
How are bank holidays determined in the UK?
Bank holidays are set by the UK government through legislation, with the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 as the current governing law. Regional holidays (like St Patrick’s Day in Northern Ireland) are determined by the devolved administrations (Wikipedia — Public holidays in the UK).
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