Public Holidays in Cheltenham & Gloucestershire
The bank and public holidays Cheltenham follows, for England and Wales, plus the national awareness days, weeks and months coming up.
- Christmas Day next public holiday, 2026-12-25
Upcoming Public Holidays
Cheltenham and the rest of Gloucestershire follow the public holidays set for England and Wales. These dates affect Post Office and bank opening hours, council bin collections, school term dates, and trading hours for many local shops.
The table below shows the next confirmed public holidays, taken directly from the official government schedule, so you always know what’s coming up. Timing a trip around one? Our visiting Cheltenham guide covers what to expect from opening hours and getting around, and the 10-day forecast shows the weather ahead.
A Note on Christmas and New Year
When Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day fall on a weekend, the holiday is moved to the next working day. This is shown as a in the schedule below where Christmas and Boxing day are not assigned to the 25th and 26th respectively.
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 2026-12-25 | Christmas Day |
| 2026-12-28 | Boxing Day |
| 2027-01-01 | New Year’s Day |
| 2027-03-26 | Good Friday |
| 2027-03-29 | Easter Monday |
| 2027-05-03 | Early May bank holiday |
| 2027-05-31 | Spring bank holiday |
| 2027-08-30 | Summer bank holiday |
| 2027-12-27 | Christmas Day |
| 2027-12-28 | Boxing Day |
| 2028-01-03 | New Year’s Day |
| 2028-04-14 | Good Friday |
| 2028-04-17 | Easter Monday |
| 2028-05-01 | Early May bank holiday |
| 2028-05-29 | Spring bank holiday |
| 2028-08-28 | Summer bank holiday |
| 2028-12-25 | Christmas Day |
| 2028-12-26 | Boxing Day |
Upcoming Awareness Days, Weeks and Months
Alongside the bank holidays, the year is marked by national awareness campaigns. Schools, charities, workplaces and community groups across Cheltenham run events and fundraisers around them, from Children's Mental Health Week to Macmillan Coffee Mornings, and dates like Halloween and Bonfire Night are worth knowing for planning at home. The last column links to each organiser's own page.
Dates marked provisional haven't been announced by the organiser yet and follow the pattern of previous years, so check them before planning around them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Cheltenham's Public Holidays Different from the Rest of England?
- No. Cheltenham and Gloucestershire follow the same public holiday schedule as the rest of England and Wales — there are no local variations.
Do All Shops and Businesses Close on Public Holidays?
- Not necessarily. Many supermarkets and independent shops in Cheltenham stay open with reduced hours, while banks, Post Office branches, and council offices are typically closed.
Is Good Friday a Public Holiday in England?
- Yes, Good Friday is a public holiday, though it doesn't carry a bunting/celebration flag in official government data the way bank holidays like Christmas Day do.
Are Awareness Days Public Holidays?
- No. Awareness days, weeks and months are campaigns run by charities, health bodies and other organisations to draw attention to a cause. Shops, schools and offices stay open as normal.
About This Data
Data from GOV.UK bank holidays, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Last updated 25 April 2026, checked monthly.
Awareness dates compiled by Cheltenham OD from each organiser's own website, linked from the table above. Last updated 13 October 2026, checked monthly.