The Boxing Day bank holiday will be observed on Monday, December 28 this year, not on its traditional date of December 26, because the date falls on a Saturday.
With the second half of 2026 underway, many Britons are planning annual leave around the remaining bank holidays, and the change gives workers an extra day off in lieu of the weekend holiday.
Why the holiday moved
When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is designated, normally the following Monday. UK Government guidance states: "If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a 'substitute' weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday. Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays. Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid."
Remaining bank holidays in England and Wales in 2026
- Monday, August 31 – Summer Bank Holiday
- Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)
There are currently no plans to introduce any additional UK-wide bank holidays, meaning England and Wales are expected to retain their usual eight public holidays in 2027.
In 2027, Christmas Day will land on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, so December 27 and December 28 will be substitute bank holidays.
