Public holidays in Barbados
12 days in 2026 · 12 in 2027
Back to BarbadosNext public holiday
Independence Day
After it: Christmas Day, Friday 25 December
Monday, 30 November 2026
Barbados has 12 public holidays, fixed by the Public Holidays Act (Chapter 352), and all 12 fall in both 2026 and 2027. In 2026 ten of them land on weekdays; Emancipation Day and Boxing Day both fall on a Saturday. In 2027 only eight do, because Labour Day and Christmas Day fall on a Saturday and Emancipation Day and Boxing Day on a Sunday. Barbadians often call the days bank holidays.
The calendar is built around the island's own history more than most. Errol Barrow Day in January honours the prime minister who led Barbados to independence, National Heroes' Day in April the eleven figures Parliament named in 1998, and Independence Day on 30 November marks both independence in 1966 and the republic of 2021. August carries two days side by side: Emancipation Day on the 1st, for the end of slavery in 1834, and Kadooment Day on the first Monday, the costumed parade that closes Crop Over. In 2026 they make a three-day weekend from Saturday 1 to Monday 3 August.
- Days off in 2026
- 12Nationwide public holidays
- On a weekday
- 10Monday to Friday
- On a weekend
- 2Saturday or Sunday
- Long weekends
- 6and 2 with one day of leave
2026
Public holidays in Barbados in 2026
- 1 January: New Year's DayThe first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. A Friday in 2027, so the year opens with a three-day weekend.Thursday
- 21 January: Errol Barrow DayKept on 21 January for Errol Barrow, who led the Democratic Labour Party government into independence in 1966 and is recognised as the father of the nation.Wednesday
- 3 April: Good FridayThe Friday before Easter, commemorating the crucifixion. With Easter Monday it gives a four-day weekend every year: 3 to 6 April in 2026 and 26 to 29 March in 2027.FridayDate moves
- 6 April: Easter MondayThe day after Easter Sunday, which is not itself a listed holiday because it always falls on a Sunday.MondayDate moves
- 28 April: National Heroes' DayHeld on 28 April in honour of the eleven National Heroes of Barbados, named by Parliament in 1998, among them Bussa, who helped lead the rising of 1816, and the labour organiser Clement Payne.Tuesday
- 1 May: Labour DayInternational Workers' Day on 1 May. A Friday in 2026, giving a three-day weekend, and a Saturday in 2027.Friday
- 25 May: Whit MondayThe day after Pentecost, seven weeks after Easter: 25 May in 2026 and 17 May in 2027.MondayDate moves
- 1 August: Emancipation DayMarks 1 August 1834, when slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. Saturday in 2026 and Sunday in 2027, directly before Kadooment Day both years.Saturday
- 3 August: Kadooment DayThe first Monday in August, the day of the Grand Kadooment parade of costumed bands that ends the Crop Over festival: 3 August 2026 and 2 August 2027.MondayDate moves
- 30 November: Independence DayThe anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom on 30 November 1966, which is also St Andrew's Day, and since 2021 the anniversary of the republic proclaimed on the same date.Monday
- 25 December: Christmas DayThe birth of Jesus, on 25 December: a Friday in 2026 and a Saturday in 2027.Friday
- 26 December: Boxing DayThe day after Christmas. Saturday in 2026 and Sunday in 2027, so neither year gives it a weekday of its own.Saturday
Long weekends
Long weekends in Barbados in 2026
Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.
- 4daysThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 JanWith Fri 2 Jan taken as leave · New Year's Day
- 4daysFri 3 Apr to Mon 6 AprGood Friday, Easter Monday
- 4daysSat 25 Apr to Tue 28 AprWith Mon 27 Apr taken as leave · National Heroes' Day
- 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayLabour Day
- 3daysSat 23 May to Mon 25 MayWhit Monday
- 3daysSat 1 Aug to Mon 3 AugEmancipation Day, Kadooment Day
- 3daysSat 28 Nov to Mon 30 NovIndependence Day
- 3daysFri 25 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Day, Boxing Day
2027
Public holidays in Barbados in 2027
- 1 January: New Year's DayFriday
- 21 January: Errol Barrow DayThursday
- 26 March: Good FridayFridayDate moves
- 29 March: Easter MondayMondayDate moves
- 28 April: National Heroes' DayWednesday
- 1 May: Labour DaySaturday
- 17 May: Whit MondayMondayDate moves
- 1 August: Emancipation DaySunday
- 2 August: Kadooment DayMondayDate moves
- 30 November: Independence DayTuesday
- 25 December: Christmas DaySaturday
- 26 December: Boxing DaySunday
The law is the Public Holidays Act, Chapter 352 of the laws of Barbados, dating from 1968 in the edition cited by the Wikipedia list. The Ministry of Labour publishes a list of public holidays for each year, back to 2012, and one of those, for 2019, was issued in an amended form.
The calendars on file for 2026 and 2027 show no replacement day when a holiday lands on a weekend: Emancipation Day and Boxing Day fall on a Sunday in 2027 and no Monday or Tuesday in lieu is listed for either. The sources on disk do not settle whether one is given, so the dates here are the ones the calendar shows.
Several days are marked without being days off. The timeanddate calendar for 2026 lists Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, Christmas Eve and Old Year's Night on 31 December as observances only.
Common questions
Questions about public holidays in Barbados
How many public holidays does Barbados have?
Twelve, set by the Public Holidays Act. All twelve appear in both 2026 and 2027. In 2026 ten fall on weekdays, with Emancipation Day and Boxing Day on Saturdays. In 2027 eight do: Labour Day and Christmas Day fall on Saturdays and Emancipation Day and Boxing Day on Sundays, and the calendar on file lists no day in lieu for them.
What is Kadooment Day?
The public holiday on the first Monday in August, when the Grand Kadooment parade of costumed bands brings the Crop Over festival to an end. Crop Over grew from the celebration at the end of the sugar-cane harvest and was relaunched as a national festival in 1974. Kadooment Day falls on 3 August in 2026 and 2 August in 2027, straight after Emancipation Day.
Why does Barbados have an Errol Barrow Day?
It honours Errol Barrow, who led Barbados to independence on 30 November 1966 and served as prime minister from 1966 to 1976 and again from 1986 to 1987. His government introduced free education for all Barbadians and helped found the Caribbean Free Trade Association in 1968. The day is kept on 21 January, a Wednesday in 2026 and a Thursday in 2027.
Who are the National Heroes honoured on 28 April?
Eleven Barbadians named by Parliament in 1998. They include Bussa, an enslaved ranger on Bayley's Plantation who was among the leaders of the rising of April 1816, and Clement Payne, the trade-union organiser whose deportation in July 1937 set off riots in Bridgetown. National Heroes' Day falls on a Tuesday in 2026 and a Wednesday in 2027.
What does Emancipation Day mark in Barbados?
The end of slavery in the British Empire on 1 August 1834. In Barbados, as in the other British West Indian colonies, freedom was followed by an apprenticeship of four years. In 2026 it is a Saturday and in 2027 a Sunday, and in both years Kadooment Day follows on the Monday.
Which long weekends does Barbados have in 2026?
Easter gives four days, from Good Friday 3 April to Easter Monday 6 April. Three-day weekends follow at Labour Day, Friday 1 May, at Whit Monday, 25 May, from Saturday 1 to Monday 3 August with Emancipation and Kadooment Days together, at Independence Day, Monday 30 November, and at Christmas, from Friday 25 December. Errol Barrow Day and National Heroes' Day fall midweek.
Is Independence Day also Republic Day?
The two share a date. Barbados became independent on 30 November 1966 and was proclaimed a parliamentary republic on the 55th anniversary, 30 November 2021, so the holiday now marks both. The date is also St Andrew's Day. In 2026 the date is a Monday, making a three-day weekend; in 2027 a Tuesday.
Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-09-30. The page counts from Thursday, 1 October 2026, the day it was built.