Leave HackerJoin the betaAustralian public holidays 2026, state by state
Each state and territory has its own public holidays. In 2026 ACT has 11 on weekdays and QLD has 8. Here they are side by side, with links to the days to book around each.
2026 public holidays by state and territory
| Public holiday | NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan | Thu 1 Jan |
| Australia Day | Mon 26 Jan | Mon 26 Jan | Mon 26 Jan | Mon 26 Jan | Mon 26 Jan | Mon 26 Jan | Mon 26 Jan | Mon 26 Jan |
| Labour Day | Mon 5 Oct | Mon 9 Mar | Mon 4 May | Mon 2 Mar | Mon 5 Oct | Mon 9 Mar | Mon 5 Oct | not a public holiday |
| Adelaide Cup Day | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | Mon 9 Mar | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday |
| Canberra Day | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | Mon 9 Mar | not a public holiday |
| Good Friday | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 3 Apr |
| Easter Saturday | Sat 4 Apr | Sat 4 Apr | Sat 4 Apr | not a public holiday | Sat 4 Apr | not a public holiday | Sat 4 Apr | Sat 4 Apr |
| Easter Sunday | Sun 5 Apr | Sun 5 Apr | Sun 5 Apr | Sun 5 Apr | Sun 5 Apr | not a public holiday | Sun 5 Apr | Sun 5 Apr |
| Easter Monday | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 6 Apr |
| Anzac Day | Sat 25 Apr Mon 27 Apr extra | Sat 25 Apr | Sat 25 Apr | Sat 25 Apr Mon 27 Apr extra | Sat 25 Apr | Sat 25 Apr | Sat 25 Apr Mon 27 Apr extra | Sat 25 Apr |
| May Day | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | Mon 4 May |
| Western Australia Day | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | Mon 1 Jun | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday |
| Reconciliation Day | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | Mon 1 Jun | not a public holiday |
| King's Birthday | Mon 8 Jun | Mon 8 Jun | Mon 5 Oct | Mon 28 Sep | Mon 8 Jun | Mon 8 Jun | Mon 8 Jun | Mon 8 Jun |
| Picnic Day | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | Mon 3 Aug |
| AFL Grand Final Friday | not a public holiday | Fri 25 Sep | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday |
| Melbourne Cup | not a public holiday | Tue 3 Nov | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday | not a public holiday |
| Christmas Day | Fri 25 Dec | Fri 25 Dec | Fri 25 Dec | Fri 25 Dec | Fri 25 Dec | Fri 25 Dec | Fri 25 Dec | Fri 25 Dec |
| Boxing Day | Sat 26 Dec Mon 28 Dec extra | Sat 26 Dec Mon 28 Dec extra | Sat 26 Dec Mon 28 Dec extra | Sat 26 Dec Mon 28 Dec extra | Sat 26 Dec Mon 28 Dec extra | Mon 28 Dec extra | Sat 26 Dec Mon 28 Dec extra | Sat 26 Dec Mon 28 Dec extra |
“Extra” is an additional or moved day for a holiday that falls at a weekend. Each state's own page lists its holidays by their official names.
How many public holidays each state gets
| State or territory | Public holidays | On weekdays | Days off with 20 days' leave |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 13 | 9 | 56 |
| Victoria | 14 | 10 | 59 |
| Queensland | 12 | 8 | 53 |
| Western Australia | 13 | 10 | 57 |
| South Australia | 13 | 9 | 56 |
| Tasmania | 9 | 8 | 55 |
| The Australian Capital Territory | 15 | 11 | 58 |
| The Northern Territory | 13 | 9 | 56 |
The weekday ones are the ones that save leave. In 2026, ACT has the most (11) and QLD the fewest (8). Every state has Christmas, Easter and Australia Day; Melbourne Cup is Victoria's alone, and Labour Day and the King's Birthday move around the calendar from state to state.
Questions
How many public holidays are there in Australia in 2026?
It depends on the state or territory: 13 in NSW, 14 in VIC, 12 in QLD, 13 in WA, 13 in SA, 9 in TAS, 15 in ACT and 13 in NT, counting holidays that fall at the weekend and the extra days that replace them.
Why are public holidays different in each state?
Each state and territory declares its own. The national ones (New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas and Boxing Day) are everywhere, but the others, such as Labour Day, the King's Birthday, Melbourne Cup and Picnic Day, aren't.
Do I get public holidays on top of my annual leave?
Yes. Full-time and part-time employees get four weeks of paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards, and a public holiday that falls during your leave isn't taken out of it. Fair Work Ombudsman.
Where the dates come from
Each state's list was checked by hand against its government's own page on 26 October 2026. Regional holidays (show days, local race days) and part-day ones aren't included; each state's page says which.