Every Public Holiday in Australia for 2026

Timing your next getaway around a public holiday is one of the easiest ways to stretch your annual leave. In 2026, a few calendar quirks reshape the year: Anzac Day and Boxing Day both land on a Saturday, which means some states cop a Monday substitute and others miss out. Whether you are booking flights, planning a long weekend escape or just counting down the days until Christmas, here is every public holiday in Australia for 2026, broken down state by state.

National Public Holidays in 2026

These are the public holidays recognised in every state and territory of Australia in 2026:

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day

Australia observes seven public holidays that apply right across the country in 2026. The big kicker this year is that Anzac Day and Boxing Day both fall on a Saturday, which triggers different substitute-day rules depending on where you live. Only New South Wales, the ACT and Western Australia get a Monday off on 27 April as an Anzac Day substitute. Most states observe a Boxing Day substitute on Monday, 28 December.

State-by-State Public Holidays in 2026

Victoria once again claims the most public holidays of any state, thanks to Melbourne Cup Day and the Friday before the AFL Grand Final. Tasmania runs close behind on sheer volume, courtesy of its regional show days and cup days scattered through the calendar. Here is the full 2026 rundown, state by state.

New South Wales

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Saturday, 4 April: Easter Saturday
• Sunday, 5 April: Easter Sunday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day
• Monday, 27 April: Anzac Day substitute
• Monday, 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Monday, 3 August: Bank Holiday (banks and certain financial institutions only)
• Monday, 5 October: Labour Day
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day
• Monday, 28 December: Boxing Day substitute

NSW has a genuinely strong year in 2026, with two Monday substitute days (27 April and 28 December) delivering back-to-back Easter, Anzac and Christmas long weekends. Trade in NSW over public holidays is governed by the Retail Trading Act 2008, with restricted trading on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day before 1pm, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The first Monday in August Bank Holiday is not a general public holiday: it applies to banks and certain financial institutions, so most workers still front up to the office. See NSW Government for the full list.

Victoria

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Monday, 9 March: Labour Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Saturday, 4 April: Saturday before Easter Sunday
• Sunday, 5 April: Easter Sunday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day (no substitute observed)
• Monday, 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Friday before AFL Grand Final: Date gazetted once the AFL fixture is confirmed. Typically the last Friday in September.
• Tuesday, 3 November: Melbourne Cup Day (statewide)
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day
• Monday, 28 December: Boxing Day substitute

Good news for Victorians: the AFL Grand Final Friday is a public holiday for the second year in a row, with the exact date pinned down once the AFL confirms the September fixture. Melbourne Cup Day is a statewide public holiday, though some regional councils substitute an alternative date for their local race days. Victoria does not gazette a Monday substitute for Anzac Day in 2026, so if you are working Monday to Friday in Victoria, that Saturday public holiday is the one you miss. Good Friday and Christmas Day are restricted trading days. See Business Victoria for the current gazetted list.

Queensland

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Saturday, 4 April: Day after Good Friday
• Sunday, 5 April: Easter Sunday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day (no substitute observed)
• Monday, 4 May: Labour Day
• Wednesday, 12 August: Royal Queensland Show (Ekka), Brisbane area only
• Monday, 5 October: King’s Birthday
• Thursday, 24 December: Christmas Eve (part-day, 6pm to midnight)
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day
• Monday, 28 December: Boxing Day substitute

*Regional show days apply only in designated local council areas and replace the Brisbane Ekka holiday outside the capital.

Queensland keeps its King’s Birthday in October rather than June, which spreads the public holidays more evenly through the year. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve have part-day status from 6pm onwards. Regional show days swap in for the Ekka outside Brisbane, with dates set by local council gazettes. For the latest details, visit the Queensland Government public holidays page.

Australian Capital Territory

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Monday, 9 March: Canberra Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Saturday, 4 April: Day following Good Friday
• Sunday, 5 April: Easter Sunday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day
• Monday, 27 April: Anzac Day substitute
• Monday, 1 June: Reconciliation Day
• Monday, 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Monday, 5 October: Labour Day
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day
• Monday, 28 December: Boxing Day substitute

The ACT gets the best of both worlds in 2026, picking up the Monday 27 April Anzac Day substitute alongside Reconciliation Day on 1 June. Reconciliation Day lands on the first Monday on or after 27 May each year and remains unique to the territory. Family and Community Day is not observed in the ACT in 2026, having been formally replaced by Reconciliation Day.

Northern Territory

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Saturday, 4 April: Day following Good Friday
• Sunday, 5 April: Easter Sunday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day (no substitute observed)
• Monday, 4 May: May Day
• Monday, 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Friday, 3 July: Alice Springs Show Day (Alice Springs only)
• Friday, 10 July: Tennant Creek Show Day (Tennant Creek only)
• Friday, 17 July: Katherine Show Day (Katherine only)
• Friday, 24 July: Darwin Show Day (Darwin only)
• Monday, 3 August: Picnic Day
• Thursday, 24 December: Christmas Eve (part-day, 7pm to midnight)
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day
• Monday, 28 December: Boxing Day substitute
• Thursday, 31 December: New Year’s Eve (part-day, 7pm to midnight)

*NT show days are regional public holidays applying only within the relevant local council area. A Borroloola Show Day is also gazetted for the Borroloola region in August, with the exact 2026 date confirmed locally.

The Northern Territory packs a run of regional show days into July, one per major town, plus May Day and Picnic Day to pad out the year. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are part-day public holidays from 7pm onwards, the same as South Australia. Picnic Day, the first Monday in August, remains unique to the NT.

South Australia

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Monday, 9 March: Adelaide Cup Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Saturday, 4 April: Day following Good Friday
• Sunday, 5 April: Easter Sunday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day (no substitute observed)
• Monday, 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Monday, 5 October: Labour Day
• Thursday, 24 December: Christmas Eve (part-day, 7pm to midnight)
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Proclamation Day
• Monday, 28 December: Proclamation Day substitute
• Thursday, 31 December: New Year’s Eve (part-day, 7pm to midnight)

South Australia is the only state that recognises Proclamation Day as the 26 December holiday, marking the proclamation of the colony in 1836. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are part-day public holidays from 7pm onwards. South Australia does not gazette a Monday substitute for Anzac Day in 2026. Trading hours are governed by the Shop Trading Hours Act 1977, and SafeWork SA publishes the current rules.

Tasmania

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Monday, 9 February: Royal Hobart Regatta (southern Tasmania only)
• Wednesday, 25 February: Launceston Cup (Launceston area only)
• Tuesday, 3 March: King Island Show (King Island only)
• Monday, 9 March: Eight Hours Day (Labour Day)
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Tuesday, 7 April: Easter Tuesday (generally only for the Tasmanian Public Service)
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day (no substitute observed)
• Monday, 8 June: King’s Birthday
• Friday, 2 October: Burnie Show (Burnie area only)
• Thursday, 8 October: Royal Launceston Show (Launceston area only)
• Friday, 16 October: Flinders Island Show (Flinders Island only)
• Thursday, 22 October: Royal Hobart Show (southern Tasmania only)
• Monday, 2 November: Recreation Day (northern Tasmania, areas not observing the Royal Hobart Regatta)
• Friday, 27 November: Devonport Show (Devonport area only)
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day
• Monday, 28 December: Boxing Day substitute

*Regional show days and cup days only apply in their designated local areas. Tasmania is the only state to gazette Easter Tuesday, and that holiday generally applies to the Tasmanian State Service rather than the private sector.

Tasmania is the regional holiday heavyweight. On top of the national dates, the island runs cup days, regatta days, agricultural shows and Recreation Day, each gazetted for specific local council areas. Tasmanian trading hours are regulated under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1984 according to location and shop category.

Western Australia

• Thursday, 1 January: New Year’s Day
• Monday, 26 January: Australia Day
• Monday, 2 March: Labour Day
• Friday, 3 April: Good Friday
• Monday, 6 April: Easter Monday
• Saturday, 25 April: Anzac Day
• Monday, 27 April: Anzac Day substitute
• Monday, 1 June: Western Australia Day
• Monday, 28 September: King’s Birthday (some regional areas may gazette a different date)
• Friday, 25 December: Christmas Day
• Saturday, 26 December: Boxing Day
• Monday, 28 December: Boxing Day substitute

*Some regional WA areas hold the King’s Birthday public holiday on a different date each year.

Western Australia remains the only state to observe King’s Birthday outside June, with the holiday gazetted for late September or early October each year. In 2026 it lands on Monday, 28 September. WA joins NSW and the ACT in observing a Monday Anzac Day substitute on 27 April. Retail trading over public holidays is governed under the Retail Trading Hours Act 1987.

What’s Changed for 2026

A few timing quirks are worth flagging before you lock in annual leave:

• Saturday Anzac Day: Anzac Day falls on Saturday, 25 April 2026. Only NSW, the ACT and WA gazette a Monday substitute on 27 April. Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory do not, so workers in those states miss out on a weekday off.
• Saturday Boxing Day: Boxing Day falls on Saturday, 26 December. Every state and territory gazettes a Monday substitute on 28 December, which anchors a solid end-of-year long weekend.
• Late Easter: Easter arrives late in 2026, with Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April. That pushes the Easter long weekend closer to the Anzac long weekend than usual.
• AFL Grand Final Friday: The Friday before the AFL Grand Final remains a Victorian public holiday, with the exact September date set once the AFL fixture is confirmed.

How to Maximise Annual Leave in 2026

A well-timed long weekend remains the cheapest way to feel like you got away with something. Stack annual leave on either side of a public holiday and you can turn a handful of days into a proper break. Here are the best 2026 plays.

January: Trade 4 for 9

Australia Day lands on Monday, 26 January 2026. Take the following four days off and you get a 9-day run from Saturday, 24 January to Sunday, 1 February.

Take these dates off:

• Tuesday, 27 January
• Wednesday, 28 January
• Thursday, 29 January
• Friday, 30 January

Easter and Anzac: Trade 4 for 11 (NSW, ACT, WA)

This is the money run in 2026. For workers in NSW, the ACT and WA, trade four annual leave days around Easter and Anzac and you can string together an 11-day break from Friday, 3 April to Monday, 13 April, plus a three-day weekend on 25 to 27 April. Even in states without the Anzac substitute, the Easter long weekend still runs Friday, 3 April to Monday, 6 April.

Take these dates off for the Easter stretch:

• Tuesday, 7 April
• Wednesday, 8 April
• Thursday, 9 April
• Friday, 10 April

June: Trade 4 for 9

King’s Birthday for most of the country lands on Monday, 8 June. Take the following four days off and you get a 9-day stretch from Saturday, 6 June to Sunday, 14 June.

Take these dates off:

• Tuesday, 9 June
• Wednesday, 10 June
• Thursday, 11 June
• Friday, 12 June

Christmas: Trade 3 for 10

Christmas Day is on Friday, 25 December and Boxing Day’s Monday substitute falls on 28 December. Take three days off between Christmas and New Year and you are home free from Friday, 25 December through to Sunday, 3 January.

Take these dates off:

• Tuesday, 29 December
• Wednesday, 30 December
• Thursday, 31 December

New Year’s Day on Friday, 1 January 2027 extends that final stretch into a proper ten-day shutdown. Pair it with cheap flights locked in months ahead and you have the easiest holiday of the year.

Public Holidays in Australia 2026 FAQs