Belgium: public holidays in 2026
In 2026, Belgium has 10 public holidays. 8 fall on a weekday and 2 on a weekend (Assumption Day and All Saints’ Day). That makes 8 days off from Monday to Friday.
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 | Thursday |
| Easter Monday | April 6 | Monday |
| Labor Day (May Day) | May 1 | Friday |
| Ascension Day | May 14 | Thursday |
| Whit Monday | May 25 | Monday |
| Belgian National Day | July 21 | Tuesday |
| Assumption Day | August 15 | Saturday |
| All Saints’ Day | November 1 | Sunday |
| Armistice Day | November 11 | Wednesday |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Friday |
Long weekends and bridge days in 2026
2026 has 4 long weekends of three days or more without taking any leave:
- Saturday, April 4 to Monday, April 6: 3 days · Easter Monday
- Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3: 3 days · Labor Day (May Day)
- Saturday, May 23 to Monday, May 25: 3 days · Whit Monday
- Friday, December 25 to Sunday, December 27: 3 days · Christmas Day
Bridge days, where a little leave buys a lot of time off:
- Take Friday, January 2 off: 4 days in a row, from Thursday, January 1 to Sunday, January 4 · New Year’s Day
- Take Friday, May 15 off: 4 days in a row, from Thursday, May 14 to Sunday, May 17 · Ascension Day
- Take Monday, July 20 off: 4 days in a row, from Saturday, July 18 to Tuesday, July 21 · Belgian National Day
- Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off: 5 days in a row, from Saturday, November 7 to Wednesday, November 11 · Armistice Day
- Take Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 off: 5 days in a row, from Wednesday, November 11 to Sunday, November 15 · Armistice Day
Holidays on a weekend
Assumption Day (Saturday, August 15) and All Saints’ Day (Sunday, November 1) fall on a weekend in 2026. In Belgium, when a holiday falls on a Sunday or on a usual day off, employees are entitled to a replacement day. The date is set by the joint committee or the company, before December 15 of the previous year, so it is not on this calendar.
Regional holidays in 2026
These days are holidays only in part of Belgium:
| Holiday | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Day of the Flemish Community | July 11 | Vlaamse Gemeenschap |
| Day of the French Community | September 27 | Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles |
| Day of the German-speaking Community | November 15 | Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft |
Good to know
Belgium has 10 legal public holidays. The three community holidays (July 11 for the Flemish Community, September 27 for the French Community, November 15 for the German-speaking Community) mostly close public services and schools, not private companies.
2026 and 2027 compared
In 2027, Belgium has 10 public holidays, 7 of them on weekdays (Belgium 2027). With its holidays removed, 2026 counts 253 working days from Monday to Friday, against 254 in 2027: month by month in working days in Belgium 2026.
To count the working days between two dates, use the business days calculator; for the movable feasts of the year, see Easter 2026; and for the whole year on one page, the 2026 calendar.