Liberation Day
Saturday, 9 May 2026 · Guernsey · Nationwide · Public holiday
Bridge day check
Falls on the weekend, so it costs most people no leave — and in many countries no day is given back.
What the day is for
9 May marks the end of the German occupation in 1945, after five years in which much of the population was evacuated or lived under military rule. It is Guernsey's biggest day of the year, with a cavalcade, church services and fireworks over St Peter Port harbour.
Do shops and banks close?
Public holiday; banks, offices and most shops close. St Peter Port fills up from mid-morning.
Getting around
The seafront and town centre close to traffic for the cavalcade; buses run a Sunday service and are packed into town.
When it falls each year
Floating holidays shift; fixed ones move only in which weekday they land on.
See the full Guernsey holiday calendar or count the working days.