Bank holidays in the UK: public holidays in 2022 and 2023

Living in the UK? Here’s a list of all the UK public holidays you need to know in 2022 and 2023, as well as other important dates to make a note of on your calendar.

Whether you’re living in the UK or just visiting, it’s important to note the dates of the UK’s holidays. This is because many businesses and public institutions typically close or have reduced services on these days.

To ensure you don’t miss out on anything important, our guide puts together a list of the UK’s public holidays as well as important dates for your calendar.

Introduction to UK public holidays

Public holidays in the UK are usually called bank holidays. Some bank holidays in the UK coincide with colorful UK festivals, such as Burn’s Night, which is a great way to sample the top local British foods. Many businesses typically close, however, for UK national holidays and some UK transport may run on reduced schedules.

It’s important to note that UK bank holidays are slightly different across the four countries of the UK. For example, Northern Ireland has two more holidays than England. These are St Patrick’s Day and the Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Scotland also has several holidays that only apply to certain regions.

When UK holidays fall on a weekend, the next weekday (often a Monday) usually becomes a substitute day UK national holiday.

UK public holidays in 2022

Below is a list of UK bank holidays that have been confirmed for 2022, but more may be announced at a later date.

• 1 January (Saturday): New Year’s Day
• 3 January (Monday): New Year’s Day holiday
• 4 January (Tuesday): New Year’s holiday (Scotland)
• 17 March (Thursday): St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland)
• 15 April (Friday): Good Friday
• 18 April (Monday): Easter Monday
• 2 May (Monday): May Day bank holiday
• 2 June (Thursday): Spring Bank Holiday
• 3 June (Friday): Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday
• 12 July (Tuesday): Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland)
• 1 August (Monday): Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland only)
• 29 August (Monday): Summer Bank Holiday (not in Scotland, however)
• 30 November (Wednesday): St Andrew’s Day (Scotland)
• 25 December (Sunday): Christmas Day
• 26 December (Monday): Boxing Day
• 27 December (Tuesday): Christmas Day holiday

Important dates in the UK in 2022

• 25 January (Tuesday): Burns Night – Scotland
• 1 February (Tuesday): Chinese New Year
• 1 March (Tuesday): Shrove Tuesday
• 27 March (Sunday): Mother’s Day
• 27 March (Sunday): Clocks go forward one hour as British Summer Time (BST) starts
• 2 April (Saturday): Ramadan begins
• 3 May (Tuesday): Eid al-Fitr
• 19 June (Sunday): Father’s Day
• 5 October (Wednesday): Yom Kippur
• 25 October (Tuesday): Diwali
• 30 October (Sunday): Clocks go back one hour as British Summer Time (BST) ends
• 5 November (Saturday): Guy Fawkes Night – sometimes referred to as Bonfire Night

UK public holidays in 2023

Below is a list of UK bank holidays that have been confirmed for 2023, but more may be announced at a later date.

• 1 January (Sunday): New Year’s Day
• 2 January (Monday): New Year’s Day holiday
• 3 January (Tuesday): New Year’s holiday (Scotland)
• 17 March (Friday): St Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland)
• 7 April (Friday): Good Friday
• 10 April (Monday): Easter Monday
• 1 May (Monday): May Day bank holiday
• 29 May (Thursday): Spring Bank Holiday
• 12 July (Wednesday): Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland)
• 7 August (Monday): Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland only)
• 28 August (Monday): Summer Bank Holiday (outside Scotland)
• 30 November (Thursday): St Andrew’s Day (Scotland)
• 25 December (Monday): Christmas Day
• 26 December (Tuesday): Boxing Day

Important dates in the UK in 2023

• 25 January (Wednesday): Burns Night – Scotland
• 22 January (Sunday): Lunar New Year
• 21 February (Tuesday): Shrove Tuesday
• 19 March (Sunday): Mother’s Day
• 22 March (Wednesday): Ramadan begins
• 26 March (Sunday): Clocks go forward one hour as British Summer Time (BST) starts
• 21 April (Friday): Eid al-Fitr
• 18 June (Sunday): Father’s Day
• 24 September (Sunday): Yom Kippur
• 12 November (Sunday): Diwali
• 29 October (Sunday): Clocks go back one hour as British Summer Time (BST) ends
• 5 November (Sunday): Guy Fawkes Night – sometimes referred to as Bonfire Night

UK school holidays

Read even more in our guide to school holidays in the UK.

For important festivals in the UK, you can also read our guide to the best UK festivals.