Public Holidays in Australia — 2026

Australia is holiday-rich in 2026, with 26 public holidays spread across the year.

3 of them land on the Saturday + Sunday weekend, which leaves 23 genuine days off work.

The dates are spread fairly evenly — 18 before July and 8 after it — with April the busiest month.

The longest dry spell runs 56 days, from Monday, June 8, 2026 to Monday, August 3, 2026; that is the stretch worth spending annual leave on.

21 holiday(s) sit next to the weekend, and 2 single bridge day(s) could turn into a four-day break.

Australia sits in Oceania, is run from Canberra, pays in Australian Dollar, and has about 25.5M people planning around these same dates.

Public holidays
26
Days off work
23
Weekend
Saturday + Sunday
Busiest month
April (6)
Longest gap
56 days
Capital
Canberra
Holiday calendar — Australia 2026
DateDayHolidayLocal name
Thu, Jan 1ThursdayNew Year's Day
Mon, Jan 26MondayAustralia Day
Mon, Mar 2MondayLabour Day
Mon, Mar 9MondayCanberra Day
Mon, Mar 9MondayAdelaide Cup Day
Mon, Mar 9MondayEight Hours Day
Mon, Mar 9MondayLabour Day
Fri, Apr 3FridayGood Friday
Sat, Apr 4SaturdayHoly SaturdayEaster Eve
Sun, Apr 5SundayEaster Sunday
Mon, Apr 6MondayEaster Monday
Sat, Apr 25SaturdayAnzac Day
Mon, Apr 27MondayAnzac Day
Mon, May 4MondayMay Day
Mon, May 4MondayLabour Day
Mon, Jun 1MondayReconciliation Day
Mon, Jun 1MondayWestern Australia Day
Mon, Jun 8MondayKing's Birthday
Mon, Aug 3MondayPicnic Day
Fri, Sep 25FridayFriday before AFL Grand Final
Mon, Sep 28MondayKing's Birthday
Mon, Oct 5MondayLabour Day
Mon, Oct 5MondayKing's Birthday
Tue, Nov 3TuesdayMelbourne Cup
Fri, Dec 25FridayChristmas Day
Mon, Dec 28MondaySt. Stephen's DayBoxing Day

How many public holidays does Australia have in 2026?

26 — of which 23 fall on a working day and 3 fall on the Saturday + Sunday weekend.

What is the first public holiday in Australia in 2026?

New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1, 2026. The last one of the year is Boxing Day on Monday, December 28, 2026.

Which days are the weekend in Australia?

Saturday + Sunday. Working-day counts on this site use that pattern, not a fixed Saturday–Sunday assumption.

When is the longest period without a public holiday in Australia in 2026?

Between Monday, June 8, 2026 and Monday, August 3, 2026 — 56 days with nothing official in between.

Are these 2026 dates confirmed?

Yes, all 26 dates come from the official calendar (source: Nager.Date public holiday API) and none are moon-sighting estimates.