New Year's Day
Thursday, 1 Jan 2026 · United Kingdom · Regional (GB-ENG, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, GB-WLS) · Public holiday
Bridge day check
Falls on a Thursday. Book the Friday off and you get a four-day weekend — the classic bridge day.
Book off 2 Jan 2026 for 4 days off.
What the day is for
A bank holiday across the UK, with Scotland taking 2 January as well — Hogmanay is the larger event there, and Edinburgh's street party runs into the small hours.
Do shops and banks close?
Banks, offices and most large shops close; supermarkets open short hours. Scotland's second day closes banks again.
Getting around
Very limited rail service; many operators run nothing before mid-morning. Night buses in London are free on 31 December.
When it falls each year
Floating holidays shift; fixed ones move only in which weekday they land on.
See the full United Kingdom holiday calendar or count the working days.