The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary is on February 21, 2026.

Quick details

  • The original The Legend of Zelda first released in Japan on February 21, 1986 on the Famicom Disk System.
  • The 40th anniversary marks 40 years from that original Japanese release date , so it lands on February 21, 2026.
  • Some coverage and celebrations describe 2026 broadly as Zelda’s 40th anniversary year, but the exact date is February 21.

If you see people saying “Zelda turns 40 this year,” they are referring to 2026, with February 21 as the key anniversary date.

TL;DR: When is Zelda 40th anniversary?
➡️ February 21, 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.