Countdown to Good Friday
A live countdown to Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday, in UK time.
Good to know
Good Friday is a bank holiday across the whole UK and falls two days before Easter Sunday, so its date moves between 20 March and 23 April.
It is traditionally marked with hot cross buns and church services, and many shops and businesses close for the day.
Because Good Friday is a bank holiday, the Easter weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Train and coach operators run engineering works on the long weekend, so it is worth checking timetables, which are published in UK local time.
In some years Good Friday falls close to the spring clock change. When Easter is early, the clocks may go forward on Easter weekend itself, as in 2016 and 2024, which adds a lost hour to the long weekend.
Dates for the next few years
- 2026: Friday, 3 April 2026
- 2027: Friday, 26 March 2027
- 2028: Friday, 14 April 2028
- 2029: Friday, 30 March 2029
- 2030: Friday, 19 April 2030
Frequently asked questions
When is Good Friday?
It is the Friday before Easter Sunday. The exact dates for the next five years are listed on this page.
Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Scotland?
Yes. Good Friday is a bank holiday in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Clock change guides
- What Is Daylight Saving Time (DST)? A Plain-English GuideWhat daylight saving time is, how it works in the UK, Europe and the US, why it exists, its history, who uses it and the argument over scrapping it.
- Why Do the Clocks Go Back in October? The Real ReasonThe clocks go back in autumn to return the UK to GMT, so winter mornings are lighter. The history, the rule, what time it happens and what changes for you.
- When Do the Clocks Go Forward Again After Going Back?When the UK clocks go forward again after the autumn change, how long the UK stays on GMT, when evenings get lighter and how to remember to reset your clocks.