Australian Public Holidays 2026: The Complete State-by-State Guide

By Working Day Calculator Team (Last updated: January 24, 2026)

Australia has only a small set of public holidays that behave consistently across the country. Everything else is state-based, and 2026 has a few tricky placements that will catch employers and deadline planners who use last year's calendar.

Two dates drive most of the pain: Anzac Day falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day falls on a Saturday. That creates substitute days, extra long weekends, and payroll surprises that differ by jurisdiction.

This guide lists the national dates, then the state-by-state differences. For detailed rules, see our Public Holidays info page. For practical planning scenarios, see Use Cases.

The national public holidays (2026)

These apply in all jurisdictions, though substitute rules can vary:

• New Year's Day: Thursday 1 January 2026
• Australia Day: Monday 26 January 2026
• Good Friday: Friday 3 April 2026
• Easter Monday: Monday 6 April 2026
• Anzac Day: Saturday 25 April 2026 (substitute day rules vary)
• Christmas Day: Friday 25 December 2026
• Boxing Day: Saturday 26 December 2026 (substitute day Monday 28 December)

Easter Saturday is not universal. It is not a public holiday in WA or Tasmania. Tasmania has Easter Tuesday instead.

State-by-state guide (2026)

The tables below are summary guides. Always check each state's official gazette for final dates and local show day announcements.

New South Wales

• Standard national holidays
• Bank Holiday (first Monday in August)
• Easter Saturday is a public holiday

Victoria

• Melbourne Cup Day: Tuesday 3 November 2026 (metro Melbourne only)
• AFL Grand Final Friday: late September (gazetted annually)
• Easter Saturday is a public holiday

Queensland

• King's Birthday: Monday 5 October 2026 (different to other states)
• Royal Queensland Show (Ekka): Wednesday 12 August 2026 (Brisbane area only)
• Regional show days vary by locality

Western Australia

• Western Australia Day: Monday 1 June 2026
• King's Birthday: Monday 28 September 2026 (gazetted annually, verify)
• No Easter Saturday public holiday

South Australia

• Adelaide Cup Day: Monday 9 March 2026
• Proclamation Day: Monday 28 December 2026 (substitute for Dec 26)
• Part-day holidays: Christmas Eve from 7pm, New Year's Eve from 7pm

Tasmania

• Royal Hobart Regatta: Monday 9 February 2026 (southern Tasmania only)
• Recreation Day: Monday 2 November 2026 (northern Tasmania only)
• Easter Tuesday: Tuesday 7 April 2026 (in place of Easter Saturday)

Northern Territory

• May Day: Monday 4 May 2026
• Picnic Day: Monday 3 August 2026
• Part-day holidays: Christmas Eve from 7pm, New Year's Eve from 7pm
• Show days: Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine (dates vary)

Australian Capital Territory

• Canberra Day: Monday 9 March 2026
• Reconciliation Day: Monday 1 June 2026
• Family and Community Day: Monday 28 September 2026

The 2026 quirks that affect planning

Anzac Day on Saturday (25 April 2026)

When Anzac Day falls on a Saturday, most states do not provide a substitute public holiday. Only the ACT and Western Australia observe Monday 27 April 2026 as a substitute. In NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS, and NT, there is no additional day off—the public holiday is simply observed on the Saturday itself.

This catches people who assume they will get a long weekend. If you are in the ACT or WA, you get the Monday. Everywhere else, you do not.

Boxing Day on Saturday (26 December 2026)

Christmas Day is Friday 25 December, so it does not need a substitute. Boxing Day falls on Saturday, and the substitute is typically Monday 28 December. That creates a three-day weekend after Christmas in most states.

Easter lands early (3-6 April)

Good Friday and Easter Monday are in early April, with Anzac Day just three weeks later. Q2 begins with two holiday-heavy weeks for many states.

The long dry stretch

For most states, July to September has few public holidays. Victoria gets AFL Grand Final Friday, and WA has WA Day in June. QLD's King's Birthday in October breaks the late-year drought for Queensland only.

Substitute day rules in one page

• Saturday holiday: usually a Monday substitute
• Sunday holiday: usually a Monday substitute
• Christmas + Boxing Day on weekend: Monday and Tuesday substitutes
• Anzac Day: special rules vary by state

For the full detail, see our Substitute Day Rules article.

Employer compliance reminders

• National Employment Standards (NES) set minimum entitlements.
• Penalty rates apply on public holidays (rates vary by award or agreement).
• Part-time employees are entitled only if they would normally work that day.
• Casual employees may refuse unreasonable requests to work.
• Multi-state employers must apply the local holiday calendar.

2026 long weekends at a glance

Conclusion

2026 is manageable if you remember two facts: Anzac Day is on a Saturday, and Boxing Day is on a Saturday. Those two placements create most of the substitute-day complexity for the year.

Always verify your state's gazetted holidays, especially for local show days and one-off dates like AFL Grand Final Friday. Use the calculator to select your state and region so your working-day counts reflect the correct public holiday calendar.

FAQ

Q: How many public holidays does Australia have? A: Seven are nationally consistent. Each state adds two to five more, and regional show days add extra local holidays.

Q: Is King's Birthday the same date everywhere? A: No. Queensland and Western Australia observe it on different dates to other states, and WA's date is set by annual proclamation.

Q: Do I get a day off if Anzac Day falls on Saturday? A: Only in the ACT and WA, which provide a Monday substitute. Most other states do not substitute when Anzac Day falls on a Saturday.

Q: Are regional show days real public holidays? A: Yes. They have the same legal status as other public holidays within their defined locality.

Sources to check

• Fair Work Ombudsman public holiday guides
• Each state's public holidays legislation and 2026 gazette notices
• Australian Government public holiday guidance