Bank Holidays 2023: Essential Dates in the UK

The next bank holiday in the UK is happening on 25 December. This is otherwise known as Christmas Day and is the second-last bank holiday of 2023.

In 2023, the majority of UK bank holidays will occur on a Monday. While there is no specific rhyme or reason for this, when bank holidays would otherwise happen on a weekend, many of them will naturally shift to Monday (rather than Friday, for example).

When a bank holiday would otherwise occur on a weekend, like Christmas or Boxing Day, that day is normally shifted to the next available weekday. This is called a 'substitute day', and it allows people who would otherwise have Saturday or Sunday off to enjoy a day of the week from work.

In the following list, you can find all the UK public holidays for 2023 that are taking place in both England and Wales:

Which UK public holidays in 2023 are taking place in Scotland? Here is how to keep your diary up to date:

If you’re in Northern Ireland, here’s what to expect when it comes to bank holidays in your neck of the woods in 2023:

The number of UK public holidays in 2023 depends on where you reside. In England and Wales, you can count on nine bank holidays taking place in 2023. In Scotland, add an extra for a total of ten bank holidays, with the highest being eleven holidays in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland has the distinction of playing host to the most bank holidays in 2023 and in an average year.

In 2023, there will be an atypical glut of bank holidays occurring in the spring, throughout April and May. This is mainly due to the added bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey. In other years, the highest concentration of bank holidays typically happens at the tail end of the year (over Christmas and New Year's).

If you are receiving benefits of any kind, whether carer's allowance or universal credit, bank holidays will typically affect your payment date. In most, but not all, cases, this typically means receiving payment the day before the bank holiday.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday, which resulted in a four-day weekend in 2022, will no longer apply in 2023. That’s because the jubilee is celebrated to commemorate the Queen’s 70-year reign, and only applies for one year.

Across the UK, there will in fact be an additional bank holiday in 2023. This will be to mark and honour the upcoming coronation of King Charles III. This holiday will only take place in 2023, and will not be found in 2024.

To honour the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, which happened on Saturday 6 May, a bank holiday occured on Monday 8 May. This applied across the UK and offered ample opportunity for citizens to celebrate the big day.

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