22% net optimism

↑+3pts on last week ↓-5pts on last year

1 May 2026

Sunshine arrived, enthusiasm didn’t, Mayday Britain

Good weather and the King’s visit gave confidence a gentle nudge this week, one whole point. Eeek!

We track excitement for outdoor activities every spring, 10 are down. Ten. Walks, exercise, BBQs, garden drinks, pub gardens, eating out, rooftop bars, food markets, relaxing in the sun, the lot. Garden drinks (genuinely one of the most affordable and easy social occasion you can have) fell from 43% to 37%.

Holiday bookings have fallen well below the last two years’ curves. Top reason: “unsure if I can afford it.” For families earning under £30k, the most common summer plan is “nothing special.” Those with money will cobble a version of summer together from day trips and UK weekends. Those without will watch it go past.

Mayday Britain!

We’ve reached a point where anticipation itself has become a cost. Getting excited about something that probably won’t happen is a waste of emotional energy people can’t spare. So we’ve started editing the future before it arrives,  removing things we know are off the cards, finding smaller yeses to fill the gaps. The bar is on the floor. Somebody should do something with that.

Based on Konfidant's weekly survey and qualitative interviews. Base: 2,000 UK adults per week.