The late August Bank Holiday means another three-day weekend for many Brits across the country. Of course, many people will still have to work some, if not all, of the days between Saturday, August 29 and Monday, August 31. However, for those lucky enough to have all three days off, it means 72 hours of fun, relaxation, and time off work.
History of the Bank Holiday
The August Bank Holiday, also known as the Summer Bank Holiday, was one of four created by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871, along with Easter Monday, Whit Monday, and Boxing Day. The Bank Holiday used to fall earlier in the month, but it was moved to the end of August in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on a two-year trial basis in 1965 to give more favourable terms to the tourism sector. This caused some confusion as twice, the Bank Holiday Monday actually fell in September. Another act in 1971 specified it as the 'last Monday in August'.
Supermarket opening hours
As with many of the other Bank Holidays of the year, shop opening times will vary across the country. We reached out to all the major supermarkets to find out what their opening hours will look like.
Lidl: A Lidl spokesperson said: "Our store opening hours for the Summer Bank Holiday are as follows: All our stores in Scotland and those inside the M25 will remain open as normal. Most stores outside the M25 and in Wales will operate under slightly reduced hours of 08:00 – 20:00 (8am-8pm). We encourage customers to check their local store's opening hours on the online store finder or through the Lidl Plus app before they make their journey."
Aldi: Aldi stores across England and Wales will be open from 8am until 8pm on bank holiday Monday, 31st August 2026, while stores in Scotland and Northern Ireland will operate their usual opening hours. Opening times can vary by location, so customers are encouraged to check the Aldi website for their local store’s hours before travelling. For shoppers hoping to avoid the busiest periods, data from last year’s August bank holiday weekend shows that 8am to 9am and 7pm to 8pm were the quietest times to shop.
Rachel Geary, communications director at Aldi UK, said: "Whether shoppers are stocking up for a barbecue, getting together with family and friends or picking up some last-minute essentials, we want to make their bank holiday shop as easy as possible. For anyone looking to beat the bank holiday rush, heading to stores first thing in the morning or later in the evening is likely to mean a quieter shop."
Other retailers
Tesco advised that its opening times will vary across the country, so customers are urged to check opening times using the store locator. However, we have been advised that most of their large stores and large Express stores across England and Wales will be open from 8am-6pm. Most Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Isle of Man stores will trade their normal opening hours. There will be no change to opening hours for standard Express stores or petrol station hours.
Sainsbury's: A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "The vast majority of our supermarkets will be open from 7am until 8pm on bank holiday Monday. Our convenience stores will be open as usual from 7am to 11pm. Opening hours can vary though, so we advise customers to check our store locator for the latest details for their area."
Argos: A spokesperson for Argos - which is currently owned by Sainsbury's, said: "The vast majority of our Argos stores will be open from 9am - 8pm or to match the store or centre hours for store-in-store locations on bank holiday Monday. Opening hours can vary though, so we advise customers to check our store locator for the latest details for their area."
Morrisons: "Our Scottish supermarkets are open as usual and our English and Welsh stores are open from 07.00 - 20.00," a Morrisons spokesperson said. "We'd always recommend customers use our store finder to check their local store's opening hours."
Asda: A spokesperson for Asda said: "Most of our larger stores are open at their usual times this weekend, but this may vary across our estate. You can check individual store opening times using our Store Locator."
Co-op: A Co-op spokesperson said: "Our stores will be open as usual over the Bank Holiday to serve our communities, which for a convenience store is typically 7am-10pm."
Iceland: An Iceland spokesperson said: "We can confirm that all Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores will be open as usual across the August bank holiday, with standard opening hours in place across all locations. For stores located within shopping centres, restrictions may apply. Please check your local shopping centre websites for further details."
Waitrose: "Some of our Waitrose and John Lewis branches may open on reduced hours," a spokesperson said. "We advise that customers check times of individual shops by using the branch finder page on our website."
