Stay on top of the UK’s key holidays and marketing moments with our SMS tips.

According to our 2023 State of Conversational Commerce Report, 88% of consumers in the UK said they’re interested in or have already signed up for texts from brands. Tap into this demand this year with timely SMS touchpoints. 

Across the UK calendar, there are endless opportunities throughout 2024 to grow your subscriber list and drive incremental revenue with SMS. Bookmark this post to take advantage of the UK’s top marketing holidays and get actionable monthly tips to inspire your SMS strategies and drive engagement year-round.

PS: Want to explore inspirational ideas, orchestration tips, and SMS templates for these marketing moments? Check out our 2024 Marketing Campaign Calendar, featuring key dates in the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.

Once you’re ready to dig in and start scheduling your campaigns, use our SMS Planning Calendar Template. It’s got everything you need to track marketing moments, which audiences you’re engaging, and campaign status.

January 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: Kick off 2024 with memorable SMS experiences. Capture shoppers’ attention (and potential gift cards) with thoughtful product recommendations that'll complement their recent holiday purchases. 

• Dry January
• Veganuary
• 1 January: New Year’s Day
• 5 January: National Bird Day
• 8 January: Plough Monday
• 25 January: Burns Night
• 25 January: Opposite Day
• 26 January: Spouse’s Day

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February 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: February is the perfect time to get to know the subscribers you gained over the holiday season better. In the lead-up to the big day, ask your subscribers who they’re looking to get a gift for or how they’re planning to celebrate. Then, with Attentive’s Two-Way Journeys^TM, you can instantly reply with a gift recommendation based on their preferences. 

• 2 February: Start of Six Nations Rugby Championship
• 5 February: National Sickie Day (The day workers are statistically most likely to call in sick) 
• 10 February: Lunar New Year
• 13 February: Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday)
• 14 February: Valentine’s Day
• 17 February: National Random Acts of Kindness Day 
• 18 February: BAFTA Awards
• 26 February: London Fashion Week 
• 29 February: Leap Day

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March 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: Spring into March with memorable SMS marketing strategies. Whether your subscribers are looking for a Mother’s Day gift, St. Patrick’s Day party gear, or items for their Easter baskets, Two-Way Journeys helps you recommend the perfect product. Plus, you can save subscriber responses to their profiles as custom attributes, so you can customize their brand experience throughout the customer lifecycle.

• Women’s History Month
• 1 March: First Day of Spring
• 2 March: BRIT Awards
• 8 March: International Women’s Day
• 10 March: Mother’s Day / Mothering Sunday
• 11 March: Commonwealth Day
• 14 March: Pi Day
• 15 March: Red Nose Day
• 15 March: Great British Spring Clean Day
• 17 March: St. Patrick’s Day
• 21 March: World Poetry Day
• 31 March: Easter
• 31 March: Daylight Savings ends

April 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: April is the perfect time to inject some fun into your SMS marketing program. Recommend products to your subscribers based on how they take their tea on National Tea Day, or share your brand's commitment to sustainability on Earth Day.

• National Pet Month
• 1 April: April Fool’s Day
• 7 April: World Health Day 
• 10 April: Siblings Day
• 15 April: World Art Day
• 21 April: National Tea Day
• 22 April: Earth Day
• 23 April: St. George’s Day 
• 23 April: Shakespeare Day
• 25 April: FA Cup Final

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May 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: The many bank holidays in May make it the perfect opportunity to convert seasonal shoppers into SMS subscribers. While customers are shopping online over the long weekends, grab their attention by customizing your sign-up units with seasonal images and unique incentives, such as a bank holiday giveaway.

• 1 May: National Gardening Week
• 4 May: Star Wars Day 
• 6 May: May Bank Holiday
• 6 May: May Day
• 13 May: Mental Health Awareness Week 
• 14 May: National Children’s Day
• 21 May: Chelsea Flower Show
• 22 May: British Sandwich Week
• 27 May: Spring Bank Holiday
• 27 May: Sunscreen Day
• 29 May: National Biscuit Day

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June 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: June kicks off the summer sales season. Offer subscribers special deals to help them stock up on summer essentials, including warm-weather apparel, picnic accessories, and refreshing drinks. And be sure your cart and browse abandonment journeys are active to remind high-intent subscribers to claim their summer goodies.

• Pride Month
• 1 June: First Day of Summer
• 1 June: UEFA Champions League Final 
• 3 June: World Bicycle Day
• 5 June: Global Running Day
• 6 June: National Fish and Chips Day
• 8 June: World Ocean Day
• 8 June: Best Friends Day
• 8 June: King’s Birthday
• 15 June: National Beer Day
• 16 June: Father’s Day
• 18 June: Royal Ascot

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July 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: From World Chocolate Day to International Self-Care Day, use July’s marketing moments to encourage your subscribers to treat themselves. 

• 1 July: Wimbledon
• 2 July: Henley Royal Regatta
• 7 July: World Chocolate Day
• 7 July: Thank You Day
• 11 July: Amazon Prime Day
• 17 July: World Emoji Day
• 24 July: International Self-Care Day
• 26 July: 2024 Summer Olympics
• 29 July: National Lipstick Day

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August 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: Help your subscribers get ready for the new school term with offers on school supplies and stationary, apparel, and more. Consider offering your SMS subscribers early access to your back-to-school deals to help them feel appreciated. 

• 4 August: Sisters Day
• 8 August: International Cat Day
• 11 August: Premier League Season Start
• 15 August: National Relaxation Day
• 19 August: World Photography Day
• 26 August: International Dog Day
• 26 August: Summer Bank Holiday

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September 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: In September, International Day of Charity is a great opportunity to help build brand loyalty by sharing your mission and values. Let them know you’ll donate a percentage of every purchase to a charity that aligns with causes your brand cares about. You can include a link back to your brand values page, a blog post, or social media post from your founders to educate your subscribers on your brand’s impact.

• 1 September: First Day of Autumn
• 5 September: International Day of Charity
• 17 September: British Food Fortnight
• 21 September: International Day of Peace
• 21 September: Oktoberfest

October 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: Keep subscribers engaged before peak season with light-hearted marketing touchpoints. Treat subscribers to a buy-one-get-one perk this International Coffee Day. And for Grandparents Day, share a curated gift guide to help your subscribers say "thank you" to the special people in their lives.

• Black History Month
• 1 October: International Coffee Day
• 4 October: National Taco Day
• 6 October: Grandparents’ Day
• 10 October: World Mental Health Day
• 27 October: Daylight Savings Begins
• 31 October: Halloween

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November 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: November marks the start of peak shopping season. You can drive SMS and email sign-ups by offering new subscribers early access to your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Then, use SMS to create a sense of exclusivity by sending a secret code that subscribers can redeem at checkout. 

• Movember
• 4 November: Roast Dinner Day
• 5 November: Bonfire Night
• 11 November: Singles’ Day
• 11 November: Remembrance Day
• 13 November: Kindness Day
• 21 November: World Television Day 
• 29 November: Black Friday
• 30 November: Small Business Saturday
• 30 November: St. Andrew’s Day

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December 2024 Holidays

SMS tip of the month: This trading season is a great opportunity to grow your SMS channel. Customize your SMS sign-up units with exclusive deals to drive additional opt-ins. Then, come Boxing Day, you’ll be ready to nurture your new subscribers—and longtime loyalists—with personalized SMS experiences.

• 1 December: First Day of Winter
• 2 December: Cyber Monday
• 3 December: Giving Tuesday
• 4 December: International Volunteers Day
• 9 December: Green Monday
• 12 December: Christmas Jumper Day
• 14 December: Free Delivery Day
• 20 December: Mad Friday
• 21 December: Super Saturday
• 26 December: Boxing Day
• 31 December: New Year’s Eve

For more inspiration, browse creative ideas, orchestration tips, and text messaging templates in our Marketing Campaign Calendar.