UK Easter holidays 2027
Easter is the most date-variable school holiday in the UK. Because Easter Sunday moves each year, the holiday can fall anywhere between late March and late April, and the four UK nations don't always align. Scotland in particular handles Easter differently.
Easter holidays 2027
Quietest week 20–26 Mar 2027 13%Busiest week 26 Mar – 1 Apr 2027 91%
78 points separate the quietest week of the Easter holidays from the busiest. Picking the week matters more than picking the destination.
Western Easter can fall anywhere from 22 March to 25 April, dragging UK school breaks with it. Late-March Easter years tend to be cheaper per night, because fewer flights and hotel nights fall in the school holiday window. Scotland often takes a different week to England. Checking both your departure nation and destination country's Easter dates can reveal a quiet window that's easy to miss.
Easter 2027 holiday dates by UK nation
| Nation | Break starts | Break ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| England✓ Verified | 2w 3d | ||
| Scotland✓ Verified | 2w 3d | ||
| Wales✓ Verified | 2w 2d | ||
| Northern Ireland✓ Verified | 1w 4d |
England and Scotland: same dates · Wales: · NI:
How Easter dates are set
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland the Easter school holiday is pegged to Easter Sunday. Schools typically break up the week before Good Friday and return about two weeks later. The holiday shifts by up to four weeks between years.
Scotland calls its spring break a "spring holiday" rather than an Easter holiday, and councils have some discretion. Scottish breaks often align roughly with Easter but aren't rigidly tied to it, so there can be a week's difference between Scottish and English Easter breaks in some years.
The Wales reform proposal
The Welsh Government's school year reform includes decoupling the spring break from Easter entirely, setting it as a fixed mid-term break regardless of when Easter falls. As of 2027 this hasn't been implemented, and Welsh Easter dates continue to follow England's pattern closely.
Planning around Easter
In date order through the Easter window:
- Early Easter (late March). The holiday coincides with the tail end of winter pricing at some destinations. Good value if the weather cooperates.
- Week before Easter weekend. Typically less busy than the week immediately after Easter Sunday, since many families travel over the weekend itself.
- Late Easter (mid to late April). School holidays coincide with warmer weather and higher baseline prices. Peak demand for European sun destinations.
- Scottish and English misalignment. When Scotland's spring break doesn't coincide exactly with England's, there's often a quieter window at the start or end of the English break.
Orthodox Easter 2027: a rare clear window
In 2027, Western Easter and Orthodox Easter are five weeks apart. Western Easter falls on 28 March 2027, while Orthodox Easter is 2 May — the maximum possible gap. For UK families considering destinations that follow the Orthodox calendar:
- Cyprus: UK Easter week (late March) falls in full Cypriot term time. The island is quiet and operating normally. Cypriot schools break in late April for their Orthodox Easter holiday.
- Greece: Orthodox Easter 2027 is also 2 May. UK Easter week is Greek term time. Mainland Greece and the islands are significantly quieter than they'll be in two weeks' time when Greek schools break up.
This five-week offset only happens occasionally. It won't recur until 2038.
Easter 2028 dates
| Nation | Break starts | Break ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| England✓ Verified | 2w 2d | ||
| Scotland✓ Verified | 2w 2d | ||
| Wales✓ Verified | 2w 2d | ||
| Northern Ireland✓ Verified | 1w 3d |
Easter 2028 dates shown — confirm with your school before booking.
Easter holiday dates shift each year with the date of Easter Sunday. Dates shown are based on curated council data and may not reflect individual school variations, particularly for academies. Always confirm with your school.
Common questions
When are Easter school holidays 2027?
Most English, Welsh, and Northern Irish schools take roughly two weeks off, from around 26 March to 11 April. Scotland's spring break is shorter and not always tied to Easter.
Why do Easter school holiday dates change each year?
The school holiday is pegged to Easter Sunday, which is a moveable feast. Easter can fall anywhere between 22 March and 25 April, so the school holiday shifts by up to four weeks year to year.
How does Scotland handle Easter school holidays?
Scotland calls its spring break a 'spring holiday' rather than an Easter holiday, and councils have some discretion over the exact dates. Scottish breaks often align roughly with Easter but aren't rigidly tied to it.
What is the difference between Western Easter and Orthodox Easter 2027?
In 2027, Western Easter falls on 28 March but Orthodox Easter (followed by Greece, Cyprus, and other Eastern Orthodox countries) falls on 2 May, five weeks later. During the UK Easter school holiday in late March 2027, Greek and Cypriot state schools are still in normal term — creating unusually uncrowded conditions for UK families visiting the eastern Mediterranean.