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Public holidays in New Caledonia

12 days in 2026 · 12 in 2027

Back to New CaledoniaMelanesia

Next public holiday

All Saints' Day

Toussaint

After it: Armistice Day, Wednesday 11 November

Sunday, 1 November 2026

New Caledonia has 12 public holidays a year, listed in Article 74 of the territory's interprofessional labour agreement, among them 24 September, Citizenship Day, the anniversary of the French taking of possession in 1853. In 2026 ten of the twelve fall on a weekday, with Assumption on Saturday 15 August and All Saints' Day on Sunday 1 November; in 2027 eight do, with Labour Day, Victory Day, Assumption and Christmas Day on a weekend.

A public holiday in New Caledonia is not automatically a day off. The agreement says that holidays are not necessarily non-working days, except for the rules on 1 May, and each branch of the economy fixes which of the twelve its employees take off, some for good and some in yearly wage talks. In 2026 the energy branch gives all twelve, the hotel and restaurant branch eight, commerce seven and the bakers four.

Good Friday and New Year's Eve, which some holiday calendars list for New Caledonia, are not on the legal list, and Easter Monday is.

Days off in 2026
12Nationwide public holidays
On a weekday
10Monday to Friday
On a weekend
2Saturday or Sunday
Long weekends
5and 4 with one day of leave

2026

Public holidays in New Caledonia in 2026

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayJour de l'anNew Year's Day, on Thursday 1 January in 2026 and Friday 1 January in 2027. It is a fixed day off in most of the branch agreements in the MEDEF-NC's table for 2026.Thursday
  2. 6 April: Easter MondayLundi de PâquesEaster Monday, on 6 April 2026 and 29 March 2027. It is on the legal list where Good Friday is not, and the commerce, industry, construction and transport branches give it as a day off in 2026.MondayDate moves
  3. 1 May: Labour DayFête du travailLabour Day, 1 May. It is the only holiday the agreement treats apart: staff who work it in services that cannot stop are paid a supplement of 150%, against 50% on other holidays that their firm takes off. In 2027 it falls on a Saturday.Friday
  4. 8 May: Victory DayVictoire 19458 May, the Allied victory of 1945. In 2026 the energy and banking branches give it as a day off, and commerce, industry and construction do not; in 2027 it falls on a Saturday.Friday
  5. 14 May: Ascension DayAscensionAscension Thursday, 14 May 2026 and 6 May 2027. Banks added Friday 15 May 2026 as a floating day to bridge it to the weekend.ThursdayDate moves
  6. 25 May: Whit MondayLundi de PentecôteWhit Monday, 25 May 2026 and 17 May 2027. Commerce, industry, construction and road transport make it a day off in 2026.MondayDate moves
  7. 14 July: French National DayFête nationale14 July, the French national holiday, a Tuesday in 2026. Banks bridged it with Monday 13 July 2026 as a floating day.Tuesday
  8. 15 August: Assumption DayAssomptionAssumption, 15 August, on a Saturday in 2026 and a Sunday in 2027. The hotel and restaurant agreement lets a firm swap it once and for good for another day on the list.Saturday
  9. 24 September: Citizenship DayFête de la Citoyenneté24 September, the territory's own holiday. It marks the taking of possession of the archipelago by France on 24 September 1853, has been a public holiday since 1953 and was renamed Citizenship Day in 2004; for part of the pro-independence Kanak population it remains a day of mourning. Commerce makes it one of its four fixed days off.Thursday
  10. 1 November: All Saints' DayToussaintAll Saints' Day, 1 November, a Sunday in 2026 and a Monday in 2027.Sunday
  11. 11 November: Armistice DayArmistice11 November, the armistice of 1918. Banks bridged it in 2026 with Tuesday 10 November as a floating day.Wednesday
  12. 25 December: Christmas DayNoëlChristmas Day, 25 December, a Friday in 2026 and a Saturday in 2027. It is a fixed day off in most branch agreements, though the bakers' agreement does not name it.Friday

Long weekends

Long weekends in New Caledonia 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 4 Apr to Mon 6 AprEaster Monday
  • 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayLabour Day
  • 3daysFri 8 May to Sun 10 MayVictory Day
  • 4daysThu 14 May to Sun 17 MayWith Fri 15 May taken as leave · Ascension Day
  • 3daysSat 23 May to Mon 25 MayWhit Monday
  • 4daysSat 11 Jul to Tue 14 JulWith Mon 13 Jul taken as leave · French National Day
  • 4daysThu 24 Sept to Sun 27 SeptWith Fri 25 Sept taken as leave · Citizenship Day
  • 3daysFri 25 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Day

2027

Public holidays in New Caledonia in 2027

  1. 1 January: New Year's DayJour de l'anFriday
  2. 29 March: Easter MondayLundi de PâquesMondayDate moves
  3. 1 May: Labour DayFête du travailSaturday
  4. 6 May: Ascension DayAscensionThursdayDate moves
  5. 8 May: Victory DayVictoire 1945Saturday
  6. 17 May: Whit MondayLundi de PentecôteMondayDate moves
  7. 14 July: French National DayFête nationaleWednesday
  8. 15 August: Assumption DayAssomptionSunday
  9. 24 September: Citizenship DayFête de la CitoyennetéFriday
  10. 1 November: All Saints' DayToussaintMonday
  11. 11 November: Armistice DayArmisticeThursday
  12. 25 December: Christmas DayNoëlSaturday

The days off are set below the law. The commerce agreement has four fixed days off, 1 January, 1 May, 24 September and 25 December, and three more chosen each year in the wage round: for 2026 Easter Monday, Whit Monday and 14 July. Construction has eight fixed days, industry eight, road transport seven, security firms seven with four chosen in each company, and mining six. Clinics and care homes cannot close and share the holidays out by rota.

The calendar of 2026 used here follows the MEDEF-NC list for that year, and the calendar of 2027 the list published for that year by vacances-scolaires.com; both agree with Article 74 of the agreement. The holiday provider first listed Good Friday and New Year's Eve as public holidays and left out Easter Monday, and those days were corrected against the agreement.

Common questions

Questions about public holidays in New Caledonia

How many public holidays does New Caledonia have?

Twelve, under Article 74 of the territory's interprofessional agreement: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 14 July, Assumption, 24 September, All Saints' Day, 11 November and Christmas Day. In 2026 ten of them fall on a weekday and in 2027 eight.

Is every public holiday a day off in New Caledonia?

No. The agreement says public holidays are not necessarily non-working days, apart from the rules on 1 May, and each branch agreement decides which ones its workers take off. In 2026 the energy branch gives all twelve, hotels and restaurants eight, commerce seven, domestic staff working at least 85 hours a month seven and bakeries four. An employee whose firm closes on a holiday keeps a monthly wage after three months' service if the agreement's conditions are met.

What is celebrated on 24 September in New Caledonia?

Citizenship Day, the anniversary of the French taking of possession of the archipelago on 24 September 1853. It has been a public holiday since 1953 and took its present name in 2004. For part of the pro-independence Kanak population it remains a day of mourning. In 2026 it falls on a Thursday and in 2027 on a Friday.

Is Good Friday a public holiday in New Caledonia?

No. Good Friday is not on the list in Article 74 of the agreement, and some international holiday calendars that show it for New Caledonia are wrong. Easter Monday is on the list: 6 April in 2026 and 29 March in 2027.

What happens to a holiday that falls on a weekend?

The legal list fixes the dates, and in 2026 Assumption falls on a Saturday and All Saints' Day on a Sunday, while in 2027 four holidays fall on a weekend: 1 May, 8 May, Assumption and Christmas Day. Branch agreements can add floating days instead; the banks' list for 2026 adds bridging days such as Friday 2 January, Friday 25 September and Tuesday 10 November.

How much extra pay do people get for working on a public holiday?

Under Article 75 of the agreement, staff who work on a holiday their firm normally takes off are paid a 50% supplement for those hours. On 1 May the rule is stricter: in establishments that cannot stop work by the nature of their activity, staff who work that day are paid a supplement of 150%.

When is the next long weekend in New Caledonia?

In 2026 the holidays that touch a weekend are Easter Monday on 6 April, 1 May and 8 May, both Fridays, Whit Monday on 25 May and Christmas Day on Friday 25 December. Ascension on Thursday 14 May, 14 July on a Tuesday and 24 September on a Thursday each need one day of leave to make four days off.

Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-10-03. The page counts from Saturday, 3 October 2026, the day it was built.