Public Holidays

Australia public holidays 2026: dates, long weekends, and bridge days

Australia has 26 public holidays in 2026. April is the strongest month to plan around.

Quick answer

Australia has 26 public holidays in 2026. April is the strongest month to plan around.

Every public holidays date in Australia for 2026, with the weekday each one falls on — the detail that decides whether a holiday is worth booking leave around.

Total entries

26

Planning year

2026

Best month

April

26 official dates

Switch year

Move between nearby years without losing the current route context.

AU202626 entries

Data table

DateHolidayType
Jan 1, 2026New Year's DayNATIONAL
Jan 26, 2026Australia DayNATIONAL
Mar 2, 2026Labour DayREGIONAL
Mar 9, 2026Canberra DayREGIONAL
Mar 9, 2026Adelaide Cup DayREGIONAL
Mar 9, 2026Eight Hours DayREGIONAL
Mar 9, 2026Labour DayREGIONAL
Apr 3, 2026Good FridayNATIONAL
Apr 4, 2026Holy SaturdayREGIONAL
Apr 5, 2026Easter SundayREGIONAL
Apr 6, 2026Easter MondayNATIONAL
Apr 25, 2026Anzac DayREGIONAL
Apr 27, 2026Anzac DayREGIONAL
May 4, 2026May DayREGIONAL
May 4, 2026Labour DayREGIONAL
Jun 1, 2026Reconciliation DayREGIONAL
Jun 1, 2026Western Australia DayREGIONAL
Jun 8, 2026King's BirthdayREGIONAL
Aug 3, 2026Picnic DayREGIONAL
Sep 25, 2026Friday before AFL Grand FinalREGIONAL
Sep 28, 2026King's BirthdayREGIONAL
Oct 5, 2026Labour DayREGIONAL
Oct 5, 2026King's BirthdayREGIONAL
Nov 3, 2026Melbourne CupREGIONAL
Dec 25, 2026Christmas DayNATIONAL
Dec 28, 2026St. Stephen's DayNATIONAL

What this means for your leave

A holiday on a Tuesday or Thursday is worth far more than one on a Wednesday: a single leave day turns it into a four-day weekend.

Holidays that land on a Saturday or Sunday give you nothing extra — worth knowing before you plan.

Best months to plan around

April is the strongest month to plan around.

How to get the most out of these dates

Book the bridge days first. They are the cheapest days off you will ever take.

Check whether Australia moves holidays that fall on a weekend to the following Monday — not every country does.

Turn these dates into a leave plan

See how many days off you can get in Australia in 2026 from the leave days you actually have.

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