Northern Ireland Bank Holidays 2026
Last reviewed: May 19, 2026 · Holiday data: June 23, 2026
Northern Ireland observes 10 bank holidays in 2026: 10 fall on a weekday and 0 land on a weekend, leaving 251 working days across the year. The working week is Monday to Friday with a Saturday and Sunday weekend, the same as England and Wales; what changes is the bank holiday set.
How Northern Ireland differs from England & Wales
Northern Ireland observes every England and Wales bank holiday and layers two more on top: St Patrick's Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne, also called Orangemen's Day, on 12 July. When either falls on a weekend, the bank holiday shifts to the following Monday. Nothing from the England and Wales set is dropped, so Northern Ireland has the longest bank holiday calendar of the four UK nations.
Added in Northern Ireland (2026)
- St Patrick's Day (Tuesday, March 17)
- Battle of the Boyne (observed) (Monday, July 13)
Not observed in Northern Ireland (2026)
Northern Ireland observes every England and Wales bank holiday and drops none.
Northern Ireland bank holiday calendar 2026
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| March 17 | Tuesday | St Patrick's Day |
| April 3 | Friday | Good Friday |
| April 6 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| May 4 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday |
| May 25 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday |
| July 13 | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (observed) |
| August 31 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
| December 28 | Monday | Boxing Day (observed) |
2026 summary
Total days
365
Weekend days
104
Bank holidays on weekdays
10
Working days
251
After subtracting 104 weekend days and 10 weekday-falling bank holidays, Northern Ireland has 251 working days in 2026. Contracts that cite "business days" in Northern Ireland usually mean the days banks are open, which is exactly this count.