Christmas Day 2026: Bank Holidays, Opening Times and What’s on TV

Christmas Day 2026 falls on Friday 25 December, which makes the festive break especially neat this year: Boxing Day lands on Saturday 26 December, so there is a substitute bank holiday on Monday 28 December across the whole UK, and New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027. If you are planning time off, shopping or travel, here is everything verified so far — the bank holidays, what is open and closed on the day, how public transport runs, and what is on television. For the build-up to the big day, see our guide to the UK’s Christmas markets: dates, opening hours and entry prices for the ten biggest, every fact from the official source.

Bank holidays over Christmas 2026

The official bank holiday calendar on GOV.UK confirms the following. In England and Wales, the bank holidays are Friday 25 December (Christmas Day), Monday 28 December (the substitute day for Boxing Day, which falls on a Saturday) and Friday 1 January 2027 (New Year’s Day). Scotland has the same three days, plus St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30 November 2026, while Northern Ireland matches England and Wales with the 25th, the 28th and 1 January.

The GOV.UK rule is simple: when a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday — normally the following Monday — becomes a bank holiday. Because Boxing Day 2026 is a Saturday, Monday 28 December is the day off for almost everyone. That means most people get a four-day break from Friday 25 December to Monday 28 December, and then another long weekend for New Year.

What is open on Christmas Day 2026

Christmas Day is the one day of the year when the law itself closes the shops. Under the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004, large shops in England and Wales must not open for retail customers on Christmas Day, with fines of up to £50,000 for breaking the rule. Small shops of 280 square metres or less are exempt, as are pharmacies, petrol stations, farm shops and a handful of other exempt trades. Note that the Act covers England and Wales only — Scotland has no equivalent law, though in practice almost every retailer there shuts too.

The supermarkets have not yet published their full 2026 Christmas-hours pages (those announcements usually land in mid to late November), but the law means every large store in England and Wales will be closed on 25 December regardless. One retailer has gone further and confirmed its plans already: Aldi has announced that all its UK stores will close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day 2026/27, calling the Boxing Day closure a thank-you to its staff. Smaller convenience stores and petrol stations may open, often with reduced hours, but do not rely on any one of them — check locally before you travel for forgotten cranberry sauce.

Getting around on Christmas Day

Do not count on public transport on Christmas Day. Network Rail has confirmed that no trains will run on most routes in England on Christmas Day, and National Rail’s own Christmas information states plainly that no trains will run anywhere across Britain on Friday 25 December 2026 — the day is used for engineering works instead. Bus services are regional: Stagecoach South West, for example, has published its festive timetable showing no service on 25 December, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, but other operators publish their own timetables, so check the operator that covers your route. Transport for London had not published its 2026 Christmas travel page at the time of writing; historically there is no Tube, bus or rail service in London on Christmas Day, but check tfl.gov.uk before relying on that. If you are driving, remember that petrol stations generally stay open, and roads are at their quietest of the year on the morning of the 25th.

What’s on TV on Christmas Day 2026

The broadcasters’ full Christmas Day schedules are not announced until late November, but a few highlights are already confirmed. The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special airs on Christmas Day at 5:30pm on BBC One, with six celebrity couples competing under the glitterball — and it will be Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s final-ever appearance as hosts, after they announced their departure earlier in the autumn. For the current series, the regular Halloween Special runs on Saturday 31 October at 6:30pm with the first-ever triple dance-off, and the results show follows on Sunday 1 November at 7:10pm.

One festive tradition is missing this year: there is no BBC Doctor Who Christmas special in 2026, the first year with no new Doctor Who screened since 2004. The BBC announced in June that it had “collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode”, choosing instead to put the show out to competitive tender; the next series is not expected until 2028 at the earliest. Call the Midwife fans should know there is no traditional Christmas special this year either — instead, the prequel series Call the Midwife: Sisters in Arms, set during the Second World War, debuts over the Christmas period, with exact dates still to be announced.

Last posting dates for Christmas 2026

If you are sending cards and gifts by post, do not leave it to the last minute. Royal Mail published its Christmas 2026 last posting dates on 27 October 2026, and the widely reported UK inland dates are: Friday 18 December for 2nd Class and Signed For; Saturday 19 December for Tracked 48; Monday 21 December for 1st Class and Signed For, plus Tracked 24; and Wednesday 23 December for Special Delivery Guaranteed. International dates are earlier still. Treat these as the published dates and check royalmail.com before you post, as dates can change and the inland page had not yet been updated when this guide was written.

Tips for Christmas Day 2026

• If you work shifts or are booking time off, remember the bank holiday is Monday 28 December, not Saturday 26 December.
• Buy perishables by Christmas Eve at the latest — no large shop in England and Wales can legally open on the 25th.
• Post first-class items by Monday 21 December to be safe, and use Special Delivery for anything posted on the 23rd.
• Check your local bus operator’s festive timetable if you are not driving — services vary by region and some areas have no buses at all on the day.
• The full BBC One and ITV1 Christmas Day schedules arrive in late November, so check back then if you want the complete line-up.

Frequently asked questions

Is Christmas Day 2026 a bank holiday?

Yes. Christmas Day 2026 is Friday 25 December and is a bank holiday in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Is Boxing Day 2026 a bank holiday?

Boxing Day itself falls on Saturday 26 December 2026. The bank holiday is the substitute day: Monday 28 December 2026 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What shops are open on Christmas Day 2026?

Almost none. Large shops in England and Wales must close by law under the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004. Small convenience stores, pharmacies and petrol stations may open, but check locally.

Do trains run on Christmas Day 2026?

No. National Rail and Network Rail confirm that no trains run anywhere in Britain on Christmas Day, with engineering work taking place instead.

What time is the Strictly Christmas Special 2026?

It airs on Christmas Day at 5:30pm on BBC One, with six celebrity couples and Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman hosting for the final time.

Is there a Doctor Who Christmas special in 2026?

No. The BBC cancelled the 2026 Christmas episode in June 2026, making this the first year with no new Doctor Who screened since 2004. The show is expected back in 2028 at the earliest.