Grocery Stores Closed Easter Sunday 2026: Ireland & UK

There’s a familiar scramble every Easter weekend: the fridge is half-empty, the shops are about to close, and suddenly you’re wondering if you can pick up the roast on Sunday itself. Easter Sunday 2026 (April 5) brings a patchwork of supermarket closures and reduced hours across Ireland and the UK, and the rules differ sharply depending on which side of the Irish Sea you’re on. This guide cuts through the confusion with verified store-by-store information, explains why some chains close entirely while others stay open, and tells you exactly what to expect.

Supermarkets closed in Ireland on Easter Sunday 2026: Aldi, Dunnes Stores, M&S ·
Supermarkets with reduced hours on Easter Sunday 2026: Lidl (9am-6pm), Tesco (varies by location) ·
Easter Sunday 2026 date: April 5, 2026 ·
Bank holiday status in UK: Easter Sunday is not a public holiday ·
Bank holiday status in Ireland: Easter Sunday is a public holiday

Are supermarkets closed on Easter Sunday?

Which major supermarkets close entirely on Easter Sunday?

In Ireland, the closures are categorical: Aldi closes all 166 branches, Dunnes Stores shuts its 138 locations nationwide, and M&S also closes for the day (thinkmoney UK). In the UK, the picture is more fragmented. Asda closes entirely on Easter Sunday, Tesco Extra and Superstores shut in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and Lidl closes across the UK (Day Out With The Kids).

Which operate reduced hours?

In Ireland, Lidl operates reduced hours from 9am to 6pm. Tesco hours vary by location — some open with limited schedules, others close entirely depending on store size. Co-op stores in the UK typically open with reduced hours, and M&S Food halls also open on a limited schedule. Scottish supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, are exempt from Sunday trading restrictions and may open normal hours (thinkmoney).

The pattern: the larger the store, the more likely it closes. Smaller formats — Express, Local, Food Hall — tend to stay open, though with shorter hours than a typical Sunday.

Is Easter Sunday counted as a public holiday?

Does Easter Sunday count as a public holiday in Ireland?

Yes. In the Republic of Ireland, Easter Sunday is a public holiday (thinkmoney). This legal status triggers trading restrictions that require large shops — those over 280 square metres — to close entirely. That’s why Aldi, Dunnes Stores, and M&S shut their doors, and why even chains that open, like Lidl, operate only limited hours.

Does Easter Sunday count as a public holiday in the UK?

No. Easter Sunday is not a public holiday in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. However, the Sunday Trading Act 1994 restricts large shops (over 280 square metres) to a maximum of six hours of trading on Sundays in England and Wales (thinkmoney). This is a trading hours restriction, not a holiday closure — but it means most big supermarkets treat Easter Sunday the same as a regular Sunday: closed or severely limited.

Are supermarkets allowed to be open on Easter Sunday?

What are the trading restrictions on Easter Sunday in Ireland?

In Ireland, the law is clear: large shops (over 280 square metres) must close on public holidays, including Easter Sunday. The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 governs public holiday entitlements and restrictions, and it mandates that employees who work on a public holiday receive either a day in lieu or premium pay — but it does not legally force employers to offer “double pay” (more on that below). The result for shoppers is a near-total shutdown of the major supermarket chains (thinkmoney).

What are the trading restrictions on Easter Sunday in the UK?

The UK has no specific Easter Sunday closure law. Instead, the Sunday Trading Act 1994 applies its usual Sunday restrictions, limiting large shops in England and Wales to a six-hour window (typically 10am to 6pm) (thinkmoney). Scotland has no Sunday trading restrictions, so large supermarkets can open as normal. Northern Ireland follows the same Sunday trading rules as England and Wales.

The implication: UK shoppers aren’t facing a legal holiday closure — they’re facing the normal Sunday regime, which just happens to be inconvenient on a day when many people need to shop for Easter dinner.

Is Good Friday and Easter Monday a bank holiday?

UK bank holidays over Easter

Good Friday, April 3, 2026, is a bank holiday in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but not in Scotland. Easter Monday, April 6, 2026, is a bank holiday across the entire UK — including Scotland (thinkmoney). On both days, many supermarkets operate reduced hours: Tesco reported Easter Monday hours of 8am to 6pm for England, Wales, and the Isle of Man, and 8am to 8pm for Northern Ireland (thinkmoney).

Ireland public holidays over Easter

In Ireland, Good Friday is not a public holiday — stores generally operate normal hours. Easter Monday, however, is a public holiday, triggering the same trading restrictions as Easter Sunday for large shops (thinkmoney). So Irish shoppers get a double-whammy: closures on both Sunday April 5 and Monday April 6.

The catch: if you’re in Ireland and assumed Easter Monday would be a normal shopping day, you’ll find the same closed doors you saw on Sunday.

Do you get double pay on Easter Sunday?

What is the standard pay for working on Easter Sunday in Ireland?

There is no legal requirement for double pay on Easter Sunday. The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 instead gives employees who work on a public holiday an entitlement to one of: a paid day off within a month, an additional day’s annual leave, an additional day’s pay, or a paid day off on the public holiday itself — the choice rests with the employer (thinkmoney). In practice, some supermarket chains offer time-and-a-half or double time voluntarily, but it’s not a guarantee.

What is the standard pay for working on Easter Sunday in the UK?

The UK has no statutory premium for working on Easter Sunday. Since Easter Sunday isn’t a bank holiday, Sunday working rules under the Employment Rights Act 1996 apply — shop workers cannot be forced to work Sundays unless they opted in, but there’s no mandated pay multiplier. Some employers voluntarily offer premium rates, and union agreements may secure better terms, but it’s not a legal right (thinkmoney).

For workers in both countries: if you’re scheduled on Easter Sunday, check your contract or union agreement. The legal minimum is not double time — the voluntary premium is what fills the gap, and it varies wildly by chain and location.

The Easter weekend shopping landscape is more fragmented than many expect. In Ireland, the combination of public holiday status on both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday creates back-to-back closure days that catch even regular shoppers off guard. UK shoppers have it easier on Sunday — losing the big boxes but keeping convenience — but face their own confusion between the four nations’ differing bank holiday schedules.

For the Irish shopper planning Easter 2026, the choice is clear: shop on Saturday or Good Friday (which sees normal trading in Ireland), or plan for limited Lidl hours on Sunday. For the UK shopper in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland: treat Easter Sunday like any other Sunday — big stores shut, small stores open — but make an extra trip before Monday’s bank holiday, because the reduced hours on Easter Monday will feel just as limiting if you haven’t stocked up.