By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Good Friday, a bank holidayFriday 26 March 2027
- Easter Sunday, when large shops must closeSunday 28 March 2027
- Easter Monday, a bank holidayMonday 29 March 2027
- Where
- Trafalgar Square and across London
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- March or April
- Dates
- Set by the moon and the spring equinox, so they move by weeks each year
From the government’s list of bank holidays: Good Friday on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March 2027. Easter Sunday, 28 March, is also the day the clocks go forward an hour for British Summer Time, so the night before is an hour shorter.
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Easter gives London a four-day weekend: Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays, and Easter Sunday is the one day of the year, apart from Christmas, when the law keeps large shops closed. Museums, parks, pubs and restaurants open as usual, and on Good Friday the Wintershall Players stage a free open-air Passion play in Trafalgar Square. Expect school-holiday queues at the big museums, and check for Tube and rail closures, because Easter is a favourite weekend for engineering works.
What Easter in London actually is
Easter moves with the moon, falling anywhere from late March to late April, and London takes it as a long weekend rather than a festival. Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays, banks and most offices close, and the city’s schools are usually on their spring break around it, so families fill the museums and parks for a fortnight.
On Easter Sunday, English law forbids large shops from opening at all, where on an ordinary Sunday they may trade for six hours. Supermarkets, department stores and the big chains close; small shops, convenience stores, pubs, restaurants and the shops at stations and airports carry on. Hot cross buns are everywhere from well before Good Friday, and chocolate eggs from just after New Year.
For anyone who wants the religious side of the weekend, the cathedrals and churches hold their biggest services of the year, and on Good Friday Trafalgar Square becomes an open-air stage for the Passion.
Where to spend the weekend
- Trafalgar Square on Good Friday. The Wintershall Players have staged The Passion of Jesus here for more than a decade: a cast of around a hundred, two performances of about ninety minutes each, a big screen and British Sign Language interpretation so the whole square can follow. It is free and unticketed; arrive early for a view of the stage.
- St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. On Easter Sunday both are places of worship rather than sights, so go to a service rather than expect a tour. The music is the best of the year, and everyone is welcome.
- The free museums and the royal parks. The British Museum, the National Gallery and the South Kensington museums open over the weekend and draw their longest queues of the spring, so book a free timed slot where the museum offers one. The parks are the overflow, with daffodils out and the evenings lengthening.
Tickets and what it costs
Nothing about the weekend needs a ticket, the Trafalgar Square play included. The costs are the ordinary ones, raised a little: hotels are busier with families on the school break, and Easter Sunday lunch at a popular restaurant needs booking weeks ahead.
If you need a supermarket on Easter Sunday, use a small convenience store or a shop at a mainline station, which the closure rules do not cover.
Official information and booking: www.gov.uk/bank-holidays
Getting there
Trafalgar Square sits beside Charing Cross station, with Embankment and Leicester Square a short walk away. On Good Friday the square fills well before the first performance, so leave time to find a place with a view of the stage.
Easter is one of the weekends TfL and the rail companies choose for engineering works, sometimes closing lines from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Check the TfL status page and National Rail’s planned works in the week before, especially for airport journeys.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Planning a shopping day for Easter Sunday
Large shops are closed by law. Save Oxford Street for the Saturday or the Monday.
Forgetting the engineering works
A Tube line or the airport train can be shut for the whole weekend. Check before you plan the route.
Turning up at a museum mid-morning
School-holiday queues are at their worst. Go at opening time, or book a timed slot where one is offered.
Missing the clock change
When British Summer Time starts on Easter weekend, an early Sunday flight or train comes an hour sooner than it feels.
Other London events
Frequently asked questions
When is Easter in London?
Easter moves each year between late March and late April; the dates card above shows the bank holidays for this year and the next.
Are shops open in London on Easter Sunday?
Large shops, including supermarkets and department stores, must close by law. Small shops, convenience stores, and the shops at stations and airports can open, and so can pubs and restaurants.
Are London museums open over Easter?
Most open across the weekend, with the free national museums at their busiest because of the school holidays. Check each museum’s hours for Easter Sunday.
Is the Good Friday play in Trafalgar Square free?
Yes. The Wintershall Players’ Passion of Jesus is free and needs no ticket; there are two performances on Good Friday, shown on a big screen with British Sign Language.
Does the Tube run over Easter?
Yes, but Easter is a common weekend for engineering works, so some lines or sections can be closed. Check TfL’s status page before travelling.
Sources
- GOV.UK, bank holidays in England and Wales
- Sunday Trading Act, the Easter Day rule for large shops
- Mayor of London, The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square
- TfL, status updates and planned closures
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2028. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.