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Public holidays in Australia

7 days in 2026 · 7 in 2027

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Next public holiday

Christmas Day

After it: St. Stephen's Day, Monday 28 December

Friday, 25 December 2026

Australia has no single national list of public holidays: each state and territory sets its own. Seven days are kept everywhere, New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which South Australia calls Proclamation Day, and the rest of the calendar depends on where a worker lives. Labour Day falls on four different Mondays, the King's Birthday on three, and Victoria gives a day off for the Melbourne Cup and for the Friday before the AFL Grand Final.

When a holiday falls on a weekend, the states decide separately whether to add a weekday. In 2026 Anzac Day fell on Saturday 25 April: New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia added Monday 27 April, while the other states did not. Boxing Day 2026 falls on Saturday 26 December, and every state except Tasmania adds Monday 28 December; Tasmania moves the holiday itself to the Monday.

Days off in 2026
7Nationwide public holidays
On a weekday
6Monday to Friday
On a weekend
1Saturday or Sunday
Long weekends
3and 1 with one day of leave

2026

Public holidays in Australia in 2026

  1. 1 January: New Year's Day1 January. Where it falls on a weekend, the following Monday is a public holiday.Thursday
  2. 26 January: Australia DayThe anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. Governor Macquarie held the first official celebration in 1818, and the day has been a national public holiday on 26 January since 1994.Monday
  3. 3 April: Good FridayA public holiday in every state. Victoria restricts shop trading on it, and several states limit the sale of alcohol.FridayDate moves
  4. 6 April: Easter MondayA public holiday in every state. Because it can fall as late as 26 April, it can coincide with Anzac Day, as it did in 2011.MondayDate moves
  5. 25 April: Anzac DayThe landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The dawn services began at Albany, Western Australia, on 25 April 1923. When it falls on a weekend, only some states add a weekday.Saturday
  6. 25 December: Christmas Day25 December. When it falls on a weekend a weekday is added; in 2027 it falls on a Saturday and Monday 27 December is the day off.FridayDate moves
  7. 28 December: St. Stephen's DayBoxing Day26 December, called Proclamation Day in South Australia. The Boxing Day cricket Test begins in Melbourne and the Sydney to Hobart yacht race starts on it.Monday

Long weekends

Long weekends in Australia in 2026

Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.

  • 4daysThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 JanWith Fri 2 Jan taken as leave · New Year's Day
  • 3daysSat 24 Jan to Mon 26 JanAustralia Day
  • 4daysFri 3 Apr to Mon 6 AprGood Friday, Easter Monday
  • 4daysFri 25 Dec to Mon 28 DecChristmas Day, St. Stephen's Day

2027

Public holidays in Australia in 2027

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayFriday
  2. 26 January: Australia DayTuesday
  3. 26 March: Good FridayFridayDate moves
  4. 29 March: Easter MondayMondayDate moves
  5. 25 April: Anzac DaySunday
  6. 27 December: Christmas DayMondayDate moves
  7. 28 December: St. Stephen's DayBoxing DayTuesday

Regional

Holidays kept in parts of Australia

Public holidays in 2026 that are days off only in the regions listed, by their ISO 3166-2 codes.

  1. 2 March: Labour DayAU-WAMarks the eight-hour day, won by Melbourne stonemasons who marched on 21 April 1856. It falls on the first Monday in March in Western Australia, the second Monday in March in Victoria, the first Monday in May in Queensland and the first Monday in October in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.MondayDate moves
  2. 9 March: Canberra DayAU-ACTThe Australian Capital Territory's own holiday, on the second Monday in March since 2008 and on the third Monday before that.MondayDate moves
  3. 9 March: Adelaide Cup DayAU-SASouth Australia's horse-racing holiday, on the second Monday in March; until 2006 it was held on the third Monday in May.MondayDate moves
  4. 9 March: Eight Hours DayAU-TASTasmania's name for Labour Day, kept on the second Monday in March.MondayDate moves
  5. 9 March: Labour DayAU-VICMarks the eight-hour day, won by Melbourne stonemasons who marched on 21 April 1856. It falls on the first Monday in March in Western Australia, the second Monday in March in Victoria, the first Monday in May in Queensland and the first Monday in October in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.MondayDate moves
  6. 4 April: Holy SaturdayEaster EveAU-ACT · AU-NSW · AU-NT · AU-QLD · AU-SA · AU-VICHoly Saturday, gazetted as Easter Saturday in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and South Australia and under other names in Queensland and Victoria. Not a public holiday in Tasmania or Western Australia.SaturdayDate moves
  7. 5 April: Easter SundayAU-ACT · AU-NSW · AU-NT · AU-QLD · AU-SA · AU-VIC · AU-WAA public holiday in every state except Tasmania. Victoria gazetted it in August 2015.SundayDate moves
  8. 27 April: Anzac DayAU-NSW · AU-ACT · AU-WAThe landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The dawn services began at Albany, Western Australia, on 25 April 1923. When it falls on a weekend, only some states add a weekday.MondayDate moves
  9. 4 May: May DayAU-NTThe Northern Territory's Labour Day, on the first Monday in May.MondayDate moves
  10. 4 May: Labour DayAU-QLDMarks the eight-hour day, won by Melbourne stonemasons who marched on 21 April 1856. It falls on the first Monday in March in Western Australia, the second Monday in March in Victoria, the first Monday in May in Queensland and the first Monday in October in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.MondayDate moves
  11. 1 June: Reconciliation DayAU-ACTAn Australian Capital Territory holiday, kept on the Monday closest to 27 May.MondayDate moves
  12. 1 June: Western Australia DayAU-WAFormerly Foundation Day, on the first Monday in June.MondayDate moves
  13. 8 June: King's BirthdayAU-ACT · AU-NSW · AU-NT · AU-SA · AU-TAS · AU-VICKept since 1788, when Governor Phillip declared a holiday for George III. It falls on the second Monday in June in most states, on the first Monday in October in Queensland, and in Western Australia on a day the governor proclaims, usually late September.MondayDate moves
  14. 3 August: Picnic DayAU-NTA Northern Territory holiday on a Monday in August: 3 August in 2026 and 2 August in 2027.MondayDate moves
  15. 25 September: Friday before AFL Grand FinalAU-VICA Victorian holiday since 2015, fixed in law in 2019. Its date follows the Grand Final and is gazetted each year.FridayDate moves
  16. 28 September: King's BirthdayAU-WAKept since 1788, when Governor Phillip declared a holiday for George III. It falls on the second Monday in June in most states, on the first Monday in October in Queensland, and in Western Australia on a day the governor proclaims, usually late September.MondayDate moves
  17. 5 October: Labour DayAU-ACT · AU-NSW · AU-SAMarks the eight-hour day, won by Melbourne stonemasons who marched on 21 April 1856. It falls on the first Monday in March in Western Australia, the second Monday in March in Victoria, the first Monday in May in Queensland and the first Monday in October in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.MondayDate moves
  18. 5 October: King's BirthdayAU-QLDKept since 1788, when Governor Phillip declared a holiday for George III. It falls on the second Monday in June in most states, on the first Monday in October in Queensland, and in Western Australia on a day the governor proclaims, usually late September.MondayDate moves
  19. 3 November: Melbourne CupAU-VICThe first Tuesday in November, the day of the horse race. Once a Melbourne holiday, it has applied across Victoria since 2008, though some regional areas substitute a local day.TuesdayDate moves
  20. 26 December: Boxing DayAU-ACT · AU-NSW · AU-NT · AU-QLD · AU-SA · AU-VIC · AU-WA26 December, called Proclamation Day in South Australia. The Boxing Day cricket Test begins in Melbourne and the Sydney to Hobart yacht race starts on it.SaturdayDate moves

Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are part-day public holidays in some states: from 7 pm to midnight in the Northern Territory and South Australia, and on Christmas Eve from 6 pm in Queensland. South Australia's Public Holidays Act 2023, which replaced the Holidays Act 1910, sets these part days in law.

Some holidays apply to part of a state only. Hobart and the south of Tasmania keep the Royal Hobart Regatta in February and the north keeps Recreation Day in November instead, Brisbane has a show day during the Royal Queensland Show, which fell on Wednesday 12 August 2026, and Easter Tuesday is a holiday mainly for Tasmania's public service. These days are not in the calendars above.

Days can also be declared at short notice. The National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II on 22 September 2022 was a one-off national public holiday.

Common questions

Questions about public holidays in Australia

How many public holidays does Australia have?

It depends on the state or territory, because each one sets its own. Seven days are kept everywhere: New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, the last called Proclamation Day in South Australia. Every state adds a Labour Day and a King's Birthday on its own dates, and most add Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and days of their own.

Is there a day off when Anzac Day falls on a weekend?

Only in some states. In 2026 Anzac Day fell on Saturday 25 April, and New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia added Monday 27 April as an additional public holiday, while Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory did not. Where Anzac Day falls on a Saturday, Queensland's law gives no weekday in its place.

When is the King's Birthday holiday in Australia?

On the second Monday in June in most of the country, 8 June in 2026. Queensland keeps it on the first Monday in October, 5 October in 2026. Western Australia holds Western Australia Day on the first Monday in June, so its governor proclaims a separate date each year, Monday 28 September in 2026.

Why does Victoria have holidays for a horse race and a football match?

The Melbourne Cup holiday falls on the first Tuesday in November, the day of the race; once kept only in Melbourne, it was extended to the whole state in 2008, though some regional areas substitute a local day. The Friday before the AFL Grand Final was gazetted as a holiday in 2015 and put into law in 2019. In 2026 they fall on Tuesday 3 November and Friday 25 September.

What happens when Christmas falls on a weekend?

A weekday is added. In 2027 Christmas Day falls on Saturday 25 December and Boxing Day on a Sunday, so Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December are the days off. In 2026 Christmas is on a Friday and Boxing Day on a Saturday, and every state except Tasmania adds Monday 28 December, which Tasmania keeps as Boxing Day itself.

Is Easter Sunday a public holiday in Australia?

Everywhere except Tasmania. Victoria gazetted it in August 2015, and the other states and territories list it as well. Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays in every state, and Easter Saturday in all but Tasmania and Western Australia, where the Saturday between them is an ordinary day.

When is Labour Day in Australia?

On four different Mondays. Western Australia keeps it on the first Monday in March, Victoria and Tasmania, where it is called Eight Hours Day, on the second Monday in March, Queensland and the Northern Territory, where it is May Day, on the first Monday in May, and New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia on the first Monday in October.

Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-09-30. The page counts from Thursday, 1 October 2026, the day it was built.