When is August bank holiday 2023? Date of long weekend in England, Wales and NI - is it the same in Scotland

Everyone loves a bank holiday. It’s a chance to enjoy a long weekend, take an extended break from work and relax or do a fun activity of your choice. For many the 2023 August bank holiday, which is known as the summer bank holiday, is the most eagerly anticipated bank holiday of them all because it’s during the summer and that means there’s more hours of sunlight and better weather - or at least that’s what we hope for.

But, the date of the August bank holiday is different depending on what area you live in. Whether you live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland it is important to check when the summer bank holiday is. Here’s what you need to know.

When is the August bank holiday?

The date of the 2023 August bank holiday depends on where in the UK you live. If you live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the August bank holiday will be on Monday 28 August 2023. For those who live in Scotland, the August bank holiday has already ha took place on Monday 7 August.

Is August bank holiday the next bank holiday?

The August bank holiday is the next one in the public calendar in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the next bank holiday after this one takes place on Thursday 30 November, which is St Andrew’s Day. There are then two further bank holidays left in 2023, Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 December, Christmas Day and Boxing Day respectively, and they are both UK-wide.

How many bank holidays do we have a year?

If you live in England and Wales then there are eight bank holidays to be enjoyed a year, nine if you live in Scotland and 10 if you live in Northern Ireland.

When are the bank holidays for the rest of the year?

The dates of the bank holiday for the rest of the year after the bank holiday again differ slightly according to which of the four nations you live in.

Here are all of the bank holidays for the rest of 2023 for every area of the UK.

• Thursday 30 November - St Andrew’s Day - Scotland only
• Monday 25 December (Christmas Day) - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Tuesday 26 December (Boxing Day) - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

What is a bank holiday?

Bank holidays were first introduced by banker, politician and scientific writer Sir John Lubbock, who drafted the Bank Holiday Act in 1871. Bank holidays are holidays created under Act, and they include days that are specifically listed in the Act, as well as days that are proclaimed by the Queen.

Originally, it was just banks and financial buildings that closed on these dates, which is where the name “bank holiday” comes from. Gradually, the likes of businesses, shops, schools and the Government also joined in on these holidays. If a bank holiday falls on a weekend then a substitute week day becomes a bank holiday. This is normally the following Monday.