No. Is it a bank holiday today in the UK? The short answer is a flat no.
Since today is Tuesday, January 13, 2026, we are currently in that weird, grey "mid-January slump" where the sparkle of New Year’s Day has well and truly evaporated, but the promise of spring feels a lifetime away. If you woke up hoping for a lie-in or wondering why the postman just rattled your letterbox, it’s because it is a standard working Tuesday across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
You’ve probably got that nagging feeling because January is notoriously long. It’s 31 days of cold mornings and "Dry January" attempts that make everyone a bit more desperate for a random day off. Sadly, the UK government isn't that generous in the dead of winter. We just had the New Year’s Day break, and now the grind is back in full swing.
Why you might be confused about the UK bank holiday schedule
Look, it happens to the best of us. You wake up, the house is quiet, and you think, "Wait, is it a bank holiday today in the UK?" Maybe your calendar looks a bit sparse, or maybe you’re working with colleagues in a country like Ghana or parts of India where they actually do have public holidays around this time in mid-January.
In the UK, our bank holiday system is actually pretty stingy compared to our European neighbours. While places like France or Italy seem to have a day off for every saint in the book, we stick to a very rigid schedule.
The UK’s bank holidays are governed by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. It sounds dry because it is. Basically, it gives the government the power to appoint "special" days, but usually, we just stick to the classics: Easter, Christmas, and those few Mondays in May and August. Because today is the 13th of January, we are in the longest gap of the year for most of the country.
The Scotland exception and regional quirks
If you’re reading this from Edinburgh or Glasgow, you might still be recovering from the fact that Scotland gets an extra day at the start of the year. Scotland has the January 2nd bank holiday—a godsend for anyone who went a bit too hard on the Hogmanay celebrations. But even for the Scots, that ended nearly two weeks ago.
Northern Ireland is also a bit of an outlier later in the year. They get St Patrick’s Day in March and the Battle of the Boyne in July. But today? Even in Belfast, it’s business as usual.
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When is the next actual bank holiday?
Since we've established that today isn't the day, you’re probably wondering when you can actually close your laptop and head to the pub or the park.
For the vast majority of the UK (England and Wales), the next break isn’t until Good Friday, which falls on April 3 this year. That is a massive wait. We are talking about nearly three months of straight work.
Scotland gets a tiny bit of a head start if they have local holidays, but for the national ones, they are waiting for that same Easter weekend. It’s a brutal stretch. This is why "Blue Monday"—often cited as the third Monday in January—feels so heavy. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a long weekend.
Why do we call them "Bank" holidays anyway?
It’s a bit of a weird name, isn't it? Most countries call them "Public Holidays."
Historically, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Back in the 19th century, banks couldn't trade on certain days, so the whole economy basically ground to a halt. If the banks were shut, nobody could do business. Sir John Lubbock, a banker and politician, was the guy who actually got the first Act passed in 1871.
People were so happy about it that some even called the first bank holidays "St Lubbock’s Days." Honestly, he deserves a statue in every town square for that. Before him, the only breaks people really got were Christmas Day and Good Friday. Imagine that. No August Bank Holiday? No early May sunshine? It sounds miserable.
How the 2026 calendar shifts our days off
Every year, the dates wiggle around because of the lunar cycle (for Easter) or just because of how the days of the week fall.
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In 2026, because New Year’s Day fell on a Thursday, most people had a very fragmented first week back at work. That’s usually why people lose track of what day it is. When the first of the month is mid-week, the following Monday and Tuesday can feel like they should be holidays even when they aren't.
The full 2026 Bank Holiday list (England and Wales)
If you're planning your annual leave—and you should be, to maximize those days off—here is what the rest of the year looks like:
- April 3: Good Friday
- April 6: Easter Monday
- May 4: Early May Bank Holiday
- May 25: Spring Bank Holiday
- August 31: Summer Bank Holiday
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 28: Boxing Day (Observed, because the 26th is a Saturday)
Wait, notice that last one. Because Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, the bank holiday gets "pushed" to the following Monday. That’s a pro-tip for your holiday bookings. You actually get a long weekend at the end of December without "wasting" your 28th.
What stays open when it is a bank holiday?
Let’s say you’re reading this in the future, or you’re just prepping for the next one. On an actual bank holiday in the UK, things don't shut down like they used to in the 90s.
Most major supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda) stay open but on reduced hours—usually 10 am to 4 pm, similar to a Sunday. Small local shops often stay open all day because they want to catch the trade from people who forgot to buy milk.
Public transport is the big one. If it were a bank holiday today, the London Underground and National Rail would be running a "Saturday service" or a reduced timetable. Engineering works almost always happen on bank holidays because they assume fewer people are commuting to offices. It’s a nightmare if you’re trying to visit family, but great if you’re a civil engineer, I guess.
The economics of a day off
There is always a massive debate in Parliament or the press about whether we should have more bank holidays. Some people argue that every extra day off costs the UK economy billions in lost productivity. They look at the "Is it a bank holiday today in the UK?" search traffic and see a nation of people who don't want to work.
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But then you have the retail and tourism experts who say the opposite. When we have a bank holiday, we spend money. We go to DIY stores like B&Q to fix that shelf we've ignored for six months. We go to the seaside and buy overpriced chips. The hospitality industry relies on these long weekends to stay afloat, especially in the quieter months.
Personally? I think we’re overdue for a "February Bank Holiday." The gap between New Year and Easter is just too long.
Practical steps for your Tuesday
Since it’s not a holiday, you’ve got to face the reality of the working week. But you can still make it feel a bit less like a slog.
First, check your company’s internal calendar. Sometimes, private firms give a "wellbeing day" in January because they know everyone is feeling a bit burnt out. If you aren't that lucky, start looking at your 2026 leave.
The best way to "hack" your holidays this year:
Book the days between the May bank holidays. If you strategically pick your dates around May 4th and May 25th, you can turn a few days of annual leave into a much longer break.
Also, keep an eye on the weather today. January 13th in the UK usually involves a lot of rain or biting wind. If you were hoping for a bank holiday to go for a walk, you’re probably better off being in the office or working from home with the heating on anyway.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Verify your 2026 calendar: Make sure your digital calendar is synced to "UK Holidays." Sometimes Google Calendar defaults to US holidays, which will lead you astray.
- Plan for Easter: Since the next break isn't until April 3, start looking at travel or staycation options now. Prices for the Easter weekend spike massively once February hits.
- Check local disruptions: Even though it’s not a holiday, January often sees rail strikes or maintenance. If your commute feels slower today, it's likely just standard winter rail issues rather than a holiday schedule.
- Update your out-of-office: If you actually did take today off as annual leave, make sure your email says "Annual Leave" and not "Bank Holiday," or your boss might have some awkward questions about your grasp of the calendar.
It’s a regular Tuesday. Get that coffee, get through the emails, and remember that Friday is only three days away.