Add UK bank holidays to Outlook, Google Calendar or Apple Calendar
You can paste every public holiday into a calendar by hand each December — or subscribe once to a live iCalendar feed and let Google, Apple or Outlook refresh it for you.
Subscribe vs import (pick subscribe)
| Method | What happens | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribe (URL / webcal) | Calendar app refetches the feed; new years appear without you | Default for bank holidays |
| Import / open a .ics file | Events are copied once; next year is empty unless you import again | Offline archive or a single year you will edit |
Tooltern’s feed covers roughly last year through two years ahead and rolls forward. Google, Apple and Outlook fetch it from their servers — the Tooltern page itself never sees your calendar account.
Feed URLs (copy-paste)
# England & Wales (most common “UK” choice)
https://api.oddlathe.com/v1/holidays.ics?region=england-and-wales
# Other regions
https://api.oddlathe.com/v1/holidays.ics?region=scotland
https://api.oddlathe.com/v1/holidays.ics?region=northern-ireland
https://api.oddlathe.com/v1/holidays.ics?region=ireland
https://api.oddlathe.com/v1/holidays.ics?region=us-federal
# Single calendar year as a downloadable file:
https://api.oddlathe.com/v1/holidays.ics?region=england-and-wales&from=2026&years=1
Docs: Anvil /v1/holidays.ics. JSON twin: /v1/holidays.
Google Calendar
- Easiest: open Bank Holidays, pick the region, press Google Calendar.
- Or in Google Calendar → Other calendars → + → From URL → paste the
https://…/holidays.ics?region=…link → Add calendar. - Optional: rename the calendar (“UK bank holidays”) and choose a colour.
Google sometimes wants a webcal:// form of the same URL; the on-page button already converts https: → webcal: for you.
Outlook (outlook.live.com / Microsoft 365)
- On Bank Holidays press Outlook, or
- Outlook on the web → Add calendar → Subscribe from web → paste the
https://…icsURL → name it → Import. - Classic Windows Outlook: File → Account Settings → Internet Calendars → New → paste the URL.
# Outlook deep link shape used by the Tooltern button:
https://outlook.live.com/calendar/0/addfromweb?url=FEED_URL&name=Public%20holidays
Apple Calendar / iPhone / iPad / Mac
- On the Tooltern page press Apple / iPhone (uses
webcal://), or - iPhone: Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add Subscribed Calendar → paste the HTTPS feed URL.
- Mac Calendar → File → New Calendar Subscription → paste the URL → set refresh to Weekly (or more often).
Download one year instead
If your workplace blocks calendar subscriptions, download a single year as .ics from the Tooltern page (or append &from=YEAR&years=1 to the feed URL) and Import that file. Remember you will need a fresh file next January.
Troubleshooting
- Empty calendar — wrong region, or you imported a one-year file for a past year. Re-subscribe with the live URL.
- Duplicate holidays — Google/Outlook already ship a built-in “Holidays in United Kingdom” calendar; turn one of them off.
- Wrong nation — England & Wales ≠ Scotland ≠ Northern Ireland. Pick the feed that matches payroll.
- Corporate Outlook — some tenants disable “subscribe from web”; ask IT or use a downloaded
.ics. - Time zone — all-day holiday events; your calendar’s time zone should not shift the date. If a holiday appears a day early/late, check the calendar’s default time zone.
Related
Bank holidays calculator + subscribe buttons · How many working days in the UK · UK bank holiday substitute days · German Feiertage calendar feeds · Anvil holidays.ics docs · Date difference calculator · Time zone meeting planner
Questions
How do I add UK bank holidays to Google Calendar?
Open https://tooltern.oddlathe.com/bank-holidays, choose the region, press Google Calendar — or in Google Calendar use Other calendars → From URL with the holidays.ics feed.
How do I add UK bank holidays to Outlook?
Use the Outlook button on the Bank Holidays page, or Outlook → Add calendar → Subscribe from web with the .ics URL.
How do I add bank holidays on iPhone?
Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add Subscribed Calendar, and paste the https://api.oddlathe.com/v1/holidays.ics?region=… URL (or use the Apple button on the Tooltern page).
Will next year’s holidays appear automatically?
Yes if you subscribed to the live feed. A one-shot .ics import will not roll forward.
Which region should I choose for “UK”?
Most England & Wales employers want region=england-and-wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have extra holidays — use their feeds if that is your payroll nation.
Is my calendar data sent to Tooltern?
No. Your calendar app fetches the feed from Anvil; the Tooltern page only shows buttons and a local holiday list.
Published .