- New Year’s Day · all UK regionsFriday 1 January 2027
- 2nd January · England & Wales, Northern IrelandNot a bank holiday
- 2nd January · ScotlandMonday 4 January 2027 (substitute day)
The New Year bank holiday 2027 is on Friday 1 January in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Scotland has a second one: 2 January 2027 is a Saturday, so its bank holiday moves to Monday 4 January, which gives Scotland a four-day weekend from Friday 1 to Monday 4 January.
Is 2 January a bank holiday?
Only in Scotland. The Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 lists both New Year’s Day and 2 January as bank holidays for Scotland in Schedule 1, paragraph 2. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have New Year’s Day only. There, 2 January is a bank holiday only when it is the substitute for New Year’s Day, as on Monday 2 January 2023.
| Region | New Year’s Day 2027 | 2 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Bank holiday, Fri 1 Jan | Saturday, no substitute |
| Scotland | Bank holiday, Fri 1 Jan | Moves to Mon 4 Jan |
| Northern Ireland | Bank holiday, Fri 1 Jan | Saturday, no substitute |
What happens when the New Year bank holiday falls at a weekend?
GOV.UK’s rule is that a weekday replaces a weekend bank holiday, normally the following Monday. At New Year, that creates a chain in Scotland, because two bank holidays sit side by side.
2028 is the next weekend case for everyone. 1 January 2028 is a Saturday, so the New Year bank holiday moves to Monday 3 January 2028 in all three regions. 2 January 2028 is a Sunday, and with Monday already taken, Scotland’s 2 January holiday moves to Tuesday 4 January 2028.
The legal wording differs by region. For Scotland the 1971 Act says New Year’s Day and 2 January each move to 3 January “if it be a Sunday”. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, New Year’s Day is not in the Act’s lists at all; it is appointed by royal proclamation, as it was for 2026 and 2027. The July 2026 proclamation appoints Friday 1 January 2027 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Scottish proclamation appoints Monday 4 January 2027 in place of Saturday 2 January.
New Year bank holidays, past and future
| Year | Bank holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | New Year’s Day | Mon 3 Jan | Mon 3 Jan | Mon 3 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Tue 4 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2023 | New Year’s Day | Mon 2 Jan | Mon 2 Jan | Mon 2 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Tue 3 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2024 | New Year’s Day | Mon 1 Jan | Mon 1 Jan | Mon 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Tue 2 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2025 | New Year’s Day | Wed 1 Jan | Wed 1 Jan | Wed 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Thu 2 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2026 | New Year’s Day | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Fri 2 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2027 | New Year’s Day | Fri 1 Jan | Fri 1 Jan | Fri 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Mon 4 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2028 | New Year’s Day | Mon 3 Jan | Mon 3 Jan | Mon 3 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Tue 4 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2029 | New Year’s Day | Mon 1 Jan | Mon 1 Jan | Mon 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Tue 2 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2030 | New Year’s Day | Tue 1 Jan | Tue 1 Jan | Tue 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Wed 2 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2031 | New Year’s Day | Wed 1 Jan | Wed 1 Jan | Wed 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Thu 2 Jan | not a bank holiday | |
| 2032 | New Year’s Day | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan |
| 2nd January | not a bank holiday | Fri 2 Jan | not a bank holiday |
Source: GOV.UK bank holidays data (confirmed years), checked 4 November 2026. Later years are calculated from the usual rules and marked provisional.
The GOV.UK data since 2019 shows how often the dates move. In 2022, 1 and 2 January fell at a weekend and the bank holidays were Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 January (4 January in Scotland only). In 2023 New Year’s Day was a Sunday: the substitute took Monday 2 January, so Scotland’s 2 January holiday moved to Tuesday 3 January, even though 2 January itself was a weekday.
Days off over New Year 2027
New Year’s Day 2027 follows a Christmas in which Boxing Day 2026 moves to Monday 28 December. Without any annual leave, that gives these breaks:
| Region | Bank holidays | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales, Northern Ireland | Fri 1 Jan 2027 | 3 (Fri 1 to Sun 3 Jan) |
| Scotland | Fri 1 and Mon 4 Jan 2027 | 4 (Fri 1 to Mon 4 Jan) |
For staff who get bank holidays off, the first working day of 2027 is Monday 4 January in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Tuesday 5 January in Scotland. The days between Christmas and New Year are on the Christmas bank holidays page.
Frequently asked questions
Is New Year’s Eve a bank holiday?
No. 31 December is not a bank holiday in any UK region and does not appear in the GOV.UK data for any year from 2019 to 2028.
Do I get the New Year bank holiday off work?
Only if your contract says so. GOV.UK states that bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave, and an employer can count them towards statutory annual leave.
Sources: GOV.UK bank holidays data and Privy Council proclamations. Checked 4 November 2026.