when was the last bank holiday
In the UK, the last bank holiday before today (2 February 2026) was New Year’s Day on Thursday 1 January 2026 for England and Wales (and similarly observed across most of the UK).
Quick Scoop: When Was the Last Bank Holiday?
If you’re in the UK wondering “when was the last bank holiday?” , you’re looking back to New Year’s Day 2026 , which fell on Thursday 1 January 2026.
- In England and Wales , New Year’s Day is a standard bank holiday each year.
- It also appears in UK-wide bank holiday calendars for 2026 as the first (and, so far, the only) bank holiday of the year.
So from where you are now in early February 2026, that New Year’s Day break is the one you’re thinking of.
What’s Next After That?
Looking forward in 2026 for England and Wales , the next bank holidays listed are:
- Good Friday – Friday 3 April 2026
- Easter Monday – Monday 6 April 2026
- Early May Bank Holiday – Monday 4 May 2026
- Spring Bank Holiday – Monday 25 May 2026
- Summer Bank Holiday – Monday 31 August 2026
- Christmas Day – Friday 25 December 2026
- Boxing Day (substitute day) – Monday 28 December 2026
These are set out in UK bank holiday schedules for 2026 and are the main national dates most workers and schools plan around.
Mini “Forum-style” Take
“Feels like ages since the last bank holiday.” If you’re feeling that way in early February, it’s because your last proper long weekend was built around New Year’s Day , and your next one doesn’t land until Easter (Good Friday/Easter Monday) in early April.
TL;DR:
The answer to “when was the last bank holiday?” (from today, 2 February
2026, in the UK) is New Year’s Day – Thursday 1 January 2026.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.