What's open on Christmas Day 2026?

Christmas Day is a bank holiday across the UK.

In England, Wales and Scotland it's the one bank holiday when the law closes large shops. Large shops (over 280 sq m, about 3,000 sq ft) can't open on Christmas Day in England and Wales, under the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004, or in Scotland, under the Christmas Day and New Year's Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007. Smaller shops aren't covered, and petrol stations and shops in railway stations are exempt. Northern Ireland's ban only applies when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, which it doesn't in 2026.

Aldi says all of its UK stores will close on Christmas Day 2026, and Royal Mail's 2026 holiday list shows no collections or deliveries in any part of the UK.

Sources: GOV.UK: UK bank holidays (England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) · Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004, section 1 (England and Wales) · Christmas Day and New Year's Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007, section 1 · Christmas Day and New Year's Day Trading (Scotland) Act 2007, section 3 (exempt shops) · Shops (Sunday Trading &c.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, article 5 (Sunday hours, Easter Day and Christmas Day) · Aldi UK Press Office: Aldi to give store colleagues Boxing Day off this Christmas (2 September 2026) · Royal Mail: Service update, public and local holidays 2026