New data from The Oxford Partnership shows pubs sold 27.3 million pints over the four-day period, up 5.0% year on year, with average volumes reaching 823 pints per site, compared with 793 in 2025.
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The uplift generated an average £4,303 per pub, underlining the continued importance of key calendar events for the on-trade.
Longer visits
Growth was driven not just by footfall, but by consumers staying longer. Average dwell time rose to 157 minutes, up from 146 minutes last year, while occupancy increased to 65.5%.
The data suggests consumers are making more of extended social occasions, with trading building throughout the weekend and Monday emerging as the strongest day, up 6.7 percentage points year on year.
The performance builds on recent warm-weather trading patterns, with operators reporting sharp uplifts in footfall and spend during sunny periods.
All location types saw growth over the Bank Holiday, with city centres remaining the busiest at 70.8% occupancy. Rural pubs recorded the strongest uplift, supported by favourable weather and destination-led visits.
Category performance reflected ongoing premiumisation trends, with stout leading growth, up 14.8% year on year.
World lager and premium lager also performed strongly, up 8.4% and 8.1% respectively, while core lager and lower-strength premium options remained under pressure.
Moderate growth was recorded across ale, cider and craft, supported by seasonal demand for refreshing and sessionable serves.
‘On trade at its best’
Ali Jordan, chief executive of The Oxford Partnership, said: “This Bank Holiday shows the on trade at its best. When the conditions are right, consumers are coming out, staying longer and fully embracing the social occasion.
“What’s particularly encouraging is that this growth is being driven by longer, more relaxed visits rather than just spikes in footfall.”
She added that operators should focus on maximising spend across the occasion, as growth is increasingly driven by premium, experience-led visits rather than volume alone.
The performance builds on previous Bank Holiday trends, where strong trading has often been linked to favourable weather and major social occasions, although results can remain volatile depending on conditions.
