Durham term dates 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from Durham University's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are Durham University's published term dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28: when each term starts and finishes, with the vacations between them. We take the dates from the university's own calendar (linked below) and recheck them each academic year. Reading weeks, exam periods and welcome week arrangements sit in the notes under each year where the university publishes them.

Durham term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Michaelmas term 2026 termMonday, 5 October 2026Friday, 11 December 202610 weeks
Christmas vacation vacationSaturday, 12 December 2026Sunday, 10 January 2027
Epiphany term 2027 termMonday, 11 January 2027Friday, 19 March 202710 weeks
Easter vacation vacationSaturday, 20 March 2027Sunday, 25 April 2027
Easter term 2027 termMonday, 26 April 2027Friday, 25 June 20279 weeks
University notes for 2026/27:
  • Welcome Week runs from 28 September to 4 October 2026.
  • Vacations: Christmas 12 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, Easter 20 March to 25 April 2027, summer from 26 June 2027.
  • Durham advises students to check their programme calendar, as some programmes differ slightly.

Durham term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Michaelmas term 2027 termMonday, 4 October 2027Friday, 10 December 202710 weeks
Christmas vacation vacationSaturday, 11 December 2027Sunday, 9 January 2028
Epiphany term 2028 termMonday, 10 January 2028Friday, 17 March 202810 weeks
Easter vacation vacationSaturday, 18 March 2028Sunday, 23 April 2028
Easter term 2028 termMonday, 24 April 2028Friday, 23 June 20289 weeks
University notes for 2027/28:
  • Welcome Week runs from 27 September to 3 October 2027.
  • Vacations: Christmas 11 December 2027 to 9 January 2028, Easter 18 March to 23 April 2028, summer from 24 June 2028.
Source: these dates come from Durham University's official term dates page, last checked by us on 12 September 2026. The university's page is the authority if anything changes mid-year. Read how we compile dates.

Common questions

When does Durham term start?

The next term at Durham University is Michaelmas term 2026, starting Monday, 5 October 2026.

Do these dates apply to every course?

They're the university's published dates for standard undergraduate teaching. Postgraduate, medicine, law conversion and some professional courses often run longer or start earlier, and welcome week sits before the first term for new students. Your course handbook is the authority for anything that costs money to get wrong.

Where do these dates come from?

From Durham University's own published term dates page, linked below, checked on 12 September 2026. Nothing is estimated.

Family in Durham? School term dates work differently from university terms: see County Durham school term dates for the local authority's calendar.

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