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Public Holiday Calendar

Public Holidays in Australia

🇦🇺 Australia · Oceania

Public Holidays in Australia

Statutory public holidays in Australia, with the dates that give people the day off, how the calendar is set, and what it means for travel, cities and culture.

Region Oceania
Capital Canberra
Currency $ AUD - Australian Dollar
Time zone UTC+10 (+11 DST) - Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)Population 27.2M people

Country overview

Australia at a glance

Australia’s public holidays are set partly nationally and partly by each state, so the calendar varies by location. Australia Day on 26 January and Anzac Day on 25 April are observed everywhere.

When a holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute day is usually added, and the Christmas-to-New-Year period is the longest break.

2026 dates

Australia public holidays 2026

Australia has 7 public holidays in 2026 – the statutory days off. The table below lists those public holidays; observances and other non-statutory dates are not part of the total.

Holiday Date Type
New Year's Day Jan 1Thu National
Australia Day Jan 26Mon National
Good Friday Apr 3Fri National
Easter Monday Apr 6Mon National
ANZAC Day Apr 25Sat National
Christmas Day Dec 25Fri National
Boxing Day Dec 26Sat National

Showing 7 of 7 public holidays for 2026.

View all 2026 dates →

Where to go

Major cities in Australia

The urban centres that anchor most trips to Australia.

Canberra

A planned capital of a lake, national institutions and bushland hills.

Known forGovernment

Sydney

A harbour city of an opera house, a bridge and ocean beaches.

Known forHarbour

Melbourne

A city of laneways, coffee, galleries and a sporting calendar.

Known forCulture

Brisbane

A subtropical river city with a South Bank and islands in the bay.

Known forRiver

Perth

A sunny Indian Ocean city of beaches, a river and a wine region nearby.

Known forSunshine

Adelaide

A city of churches, parklands and close wine regions.

Known forFestivals

Highlights

Top attractions in Australia

The places that draw most visitors to Australia.

Sydney Opera House

A sail-roofed performing arts centre on a harbour peninsula.

RegionNew South Wales

Great Barrier Reef

The largest coral reef system on earth, visible from space.

RegionQueensland

Uluru-Kata Tjuta

A vast red monolith and a group of domed rocks in the desert centre.

RegionNorthern Territory

Great Ocean Road

A coastal road past the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles.

RegionVictoria

Kakadu National Park

A park of wetlands, escarpments and tens of thousands of years of rock art.

RegionNorthern Territory

Fraser Island

The largest sand island in the world, with rainforests and perched lakes.

RegionQueensland

Culture & travel

Festivals, food and getting around Australia

What the calendar looks like on the ground, and how to move through the country around it.

Festivals behind the holidays

  • 🎉

    New Year's Day

    Falls on Jan 1

  • 🎉

    Epiphany

    Falls on Jan 6

  • 🎉

    Orthodox Christmas Day

    Falls on Jan 7

  • 🎉

    Orthodox New Year

    Falls on Jan 14

  • 🎉

    Isra and Mi'raj

    Falls on Jan 16

  • 🎉

    Australia Day

    Falls on Jan 26

Food & drink

Meat pieVegemite toastBarbecue prawnsLamingtonsPavlovaTim TamsFlat whiteShiraz

Getting around

2,300 km
Length of the Great Barrier Reef
10,000+
Beaches around the coastline

Domestic flights cover the huge distances; trains and coaches serve the populated southeast.

Practical advice

Travelling around Australia’s holidays

What the dates mean once you are there.

📅

Book around the peaks

Transport and hotels in Australia tighten around major holidays; reserve early for the busiest weeks.

🏪

Check opening hours

Museums, banks and government offices usually close on statutory holidays, and often on the nearest Monday.

💰

Carry local currency

Small vendors and rural businesses frequently take cash only, especially on holidays when banks are shut.

🚆

Expect crowded transport

Long weekends produce the year's heaviest road, rail and air traffic. Build in extra travel time.

🇬

Confirm the official list

Australia's holiday dates are confirmed by government announcement; check the year page for the final arrangement.

📋

Plan the long weekends

Pairing a holiday with adjacent weekends gives the longest breaks of the year — and the busiest.

FAQ

Australia public holidays: common questions

How many public holidays does Australia have?

Australia has 7 public holidays in 2026, counting every date typed National, Substitute or Bank in our calendar. Observances, religious dates and regional holidays are listed separately and left out of the total, because they are not days off across the whole country.

Where can I find the full 2026 list?

The complete 2026 calendar for Australia is on the year page, with every recorded date in order.

Are Australia's public holidays paid?

Statutory national holidays are generally paid leave for employees. Observances and commemorative days are usually not.

Do holidays move if they fall on a weekend?

Where a holiday falls on a weekend, Australia typically observes it on the nearest weekday. Check the year page for the confirmed arrangement.

Are there regional holidays in Australia?

Some holidays are observed only in certain regions or by certain communities. The year page lists what applies nationally.

Which years are covered for Australia?

Calendars are published for 2027, 2026, 2025.

School calendar

School holidays in Australia

Each state sets its own four-term year running January to December. Shown below: New South Wales (Eastern division) and Victoria. NSW Western division starts Term 1 about a week later.

2026

RegionHolidayStartsEndsSource
VictoriaTerm 1 holiday3 Apr 202619 Apr 2026official page
NSWAutumn holidays7 Apr 202617 Apr 2026official page
VictoriaWinter holidays27 Jun 202612 Jul 2026official page
NSWWinter holidays6 Jul 202617 Jul 2026official page
VictoriaSpring holidays19 Sep 20264 Oct 2026official page
NSWSpring holidays28 Sep 20269 Oct 2026official page
NSWSummer holidaysEastern division.18 Dec 202627 Jan 2027official page
VictoriaSummer holidays19 Dec 202626 Jan 2027official page

2027

RegionHolidayStartsEndsSource
VictoriaTerm 1 holiday26 Mar 202711 Apr 2027official page
NSWAutumn holidays12 Apr 202723 Apr 2027official page
VictoriaWinter holidays26 Jun 202711 Jul 2027official page
NSWWinter holidays5 Jul 202716 Jul 2027official page
VictoriaSpring holidays18 Sep 20273 Oct 2027official page
NSWSpring holidays27 Sep 20278 Oct 2027official page
VictoriaSummer holidays18 Dec 202727 Jan 2028official page
NSWSummer holidaysEastern division.21 Dec 202728 Jan 2028official page

Official sources: NSW Department of Education - term dates and school holidays (checked 10 Sep 2026) · Victorian Department of Education - school term dates and holidays (checked 10 Sep 2026)

School calendar

School term dates in Australia

Term dates below are the periods when classes are in session.

2026

RegionTermStartsEndsSource
VictoriaTerm 1Students start 28 January 2026.27 Jan 20262 Apr 2026official page
NSWTerm 1 (Eastern division)Western division starts 9 February 2026.2 Feb 20262 Apr 2026official page
VictoriaTerm 220 Apr 202626 Jun 2026official page
NSWTerm 222 Apr 20263 Jul 2026official page
VictoriaTerm 313 Jul 202618 Sep 2026official page
NSWTerm 321 Jul 202625 Sep 2026official page
VictoriaTerm 45 Oct 202618 Dec 2026official page
NSWTerm 413 Oct 202617 Dec 2026official page

2027

RegionTermStartsEndsSource
VictoriaTerm 1Students start 28 January 2027.27 Jan 202725 Mar 2027official page
NSWTerm 1 (Eastern division)Western division starts 4 February 2027.28 Jan 20279 Apr 2027official page
VictoriaTerm 212 Apr 202725 Jun 2027official page
NSWTerm 227 Apr 20272 Jul 2027official page
VictoriaTerm 312 Jul 202717 Sep 2027official page
NSWTerm 319 Jul 202724 Sep 2027official page
VictoriaTerm 44 Oct 202717 Dec 2027official page
NSWTerm 411 Oct 202720 Dec 2027official page

Official sources: NSW Department of Education - term dates and school holidays (checked 10 Sep 2026) · Victorian Department of Education - school term dates and holidays (checked 10 Sep 2026)

School calendar data last updated 10 Sep 2026. Dates come from education ministries and local education authorities; always re-check with the school before booking travel.

Tags

Holiday observance can vary by region and employer. Confirm critical dates with the relevant authority.