Spring Bank Holiday 2024

It replaced Whit Monday
Until the 1960s the late spring holiday was Whit Monday, the day after Whitsun, which moved with Easter and could land anywhere from mid-May to mid-June. A fixed late-May Monday was trialled from 1967, the change having been put off twice, once because it clashed with the exam season and once because Whit Monday already fell on the last Monday in May. It was made permanent by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971.

Why it was moved
The moveable date made planning difficult for schools, transport and industry, and in early years it could collide with exam season. Fixing it to the last Monday in May gave a predictable long weekend and a clean half-term break.

Moved for royal occasions
The Spring bank holiday has been shifted four times, each for a royal anniversary. In 1977 it moved to Monday 6 June for the Silver Jubilee, with the special Jubilee holiday on the Tuesday. It moved into early June again in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee and in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee, and in 2022 it went to Thursday 2 June for the Platinum Jubilee, with an extra holiday on the Friday.

What happens on the day
The late May weekend is the start of the British summer season: the Cooper's Hill cheese rolling near Gloucester, the Hay Festival, and the first big weekend of the year for coastal resorts and national parks.

No substitute day
Because it is defined as the last Monday in May rather than a date, it can never fall at a weekend and never needs a substitute day. It falls between 25 and 31 May.

UK bank holidays 2024