As we move deeper into January, many are beginning to look forward to warmer weather and much-needed breaks from work. For some, annual leave resets at the start of the calendar year, providing a fresh batch of days off.
There are ways to extend this leave even further, too. If you’re entitled to weekends and bank holidays off as standard, you can look forward to several long weekends in 2026, thanks to the eight bank holidays scheduled for England and Wales this year.
The next bank holiday is set for Friday, April 3 (Good Friday), due to Easter Sunday falling on April 5 this year. This means Monday, April 6 (Easter Monday) is also a bank holiday.
If you don’t work weekends or bank holidays, this means a four-day break from work.
And by strategically booking certain dates off, you can stretch this into a whopping 14 days off, using just eight days of leave.
You’ll need to book off Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31, as well as Wednesday and Thursday, April 1 and 2, and Tuesday through to Friday, April 7-10.
Other long weekends will occur in May, with bank holidays on the first Monday (May 4) and the last Monday (May 25), and in August with the summer bank holiday on Monday, August 31.
Bank holidays for England and Wales in 2026
Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
Monday, August 31 – Summer bank holiday
Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)
