Tasmania Public Holidays 2026: Full Calendar, Dates and How Hobart and Launceston Celebrate

Tasmania’s public holiday calendar has a quirk unlike anywhere else in Australia: several holidays legally apply only in specific parts of the state, so two people working for the same employer in Hobart and Launceston can get genuinely different days off. This guide covers every statewide TAS public holiday for 2026, the regional Show Day and Regatta holidays that only apply by location, and exactly how Hobart and Launceston mark the big ones.

Full 2026 Tasmania statewide public holiday calendar

This is the complete list of Tasmania’s 9 statewide gazetted public holidays for 2026, sourced from the Statutory Holidays Act 2000 (Tas) via WorkSafe Tasmania, plus the restricted Easter Tuesday.

Tasmania's regional public holidays: who actually gets which day off

On top of the 9 statewide holidays, Tasmania has a set of regional holidays that apply only within specific municipal boundaries. If you’re rostering staff across multiple Tasmanian locations, or you’re unsure whether a regional holiday applies to you, always check the exact boundary with WorkSafe Tasmania.

You get the Regatta or Recreation Day, never both – they’re mutually exclusive by region, with Recreation Day instituted specifically to offset the southern Regatta holiday for northern Tasmanian workers. Launceston and Devonport also have their own smaller Cup Day holidays (Launceston Cup, Devonport Cup), generally restricted to the State Public Service in those areas.

Australia Day in Tasmania: 26 January

Hobart’s main Australia Day events are held along the waterfront, with citizenship ceremonies and family activities. For the full national history and debate around the date, see our Australia Day guide.

Royal Hobart Regatta (southern Tasmania): second Monday in February

The Royal Hobart Regatta is one of Australia’s oldest sporting events, first staged in 1838 and originally held at Pavilion Point before moving to its current home near Macquarie Point on the Queens Domain, along the River Derwent, since 1856. It’s a three-day aquatic carnival of rowing, sailing and other water sports, and the associated public holiday applies only in southern Tasmania – south of and including Oatlands and Swansea, excluding the West Coast.

Eight Hours Day: 9 March

Eight Hours Day is Tasmania’s equivalent of Labour Day, observed on the second Monday in March, commemorating the campaign for an eight-hour working day – the same movement behind Labour Day holidays across the rest of Australia. In 2026 it falls on Monday 9 March, the same date as Victoria’s Labour Day and South Australia’s Adelaide Cup Day.

Easter in Tasmania: 3-7 April

Tasmania’s statewide Easter holidays are limited to Good Friday (3 April 2026) and Easter Monday (6 April 2026) – it’s the only state that gazettes neither Easter Saturday nor Easter Sunday. Instead, Tasmania has its own unique Easter Tuesday holiday (7 April 2026), restricted to the State Public Service and workers covered by specific awards – most private-sector employees, including retail and hospitality workers, do not get it. For the full history of Easter in Australia, see our Easter in Australia guide.

Anzac Day in Tasmania: 25 April

Hobart’s Dawn Service is held at the Hobart Cenotaph on the Queens Domain, starting at 6am. Anzac Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, and Tasmania does not declare a substitute public holiday – the same approach as South Australia. For the full national history of Anzac Day, see our Anzac Day guide.

King's Birthday in Tasmania: 8 June

Tasmania marks King’s Birthday on the second Monday in June – 8 June 2026 – the same date as NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT.

Royal Launceston Show and Royal Hobart Show: 8 and 22 October

Northern Tasmania’s Royal Launceston Show holiday falls on Thursday 8 October 2026, covering Break O’Day, Dorset, George Town, Launceston, Meander Valley, Northern Midlands and West Tamar. Southern Tasmania’s Royal Hobart Show holiday follows two weeks later on Thursday 22 October 2026, held at the Royal Hobart Showground in Glenorchy, about 10km north of the Hobart CBD.

Recreation Day (northern Tasmania): 2 November

Recreation Day is observed in northern Tasmania on the first Monday in November – 2 November 2026 – and was instituted specifically to offset the Royal Hobart Regatta holiday enjoyed by southern Tasmania in February. If you’re in Launceston or the surrounding north, this is your equivalent long-weekend day; Hobart-area workers don’t get it.

Christmas and Boxing Day in Tasmania: 25-28 December

Christmas Day (Friday 25 December 2026) is a quiet public holiday, with most retail, banks and government services closed. Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December 2026) falls on a weekend, so Tasmania adds an Additional Day public holiday on Monday 28 December, using the standard “Boxing Day” name unlike South Australia’s “Proclamation Day.” For the full history of Boxing Day, see our Boxing Day in Australia guide.

What's open, and what working on a public holiday means for pay

Most major retailers, banks and government offices close on Tasmania’s statewide public holidays, though supermarkets and shopping centres in Hobart and Launceston commonly stay open on all but Christmas Day and Anzac Day morning. Regional holidays like the Regatta, Recreation Day and the Show Days generally see a mix – some Hobart or Launceston businesses close, others treat it as a normal trading day, since it’s not a statewide requirement.

If you work on a Tasmanian public holiday that applies to you, you’re generally entitled to a penalty rate loading on top of your normal pay – most modern awards pay 225% to 250% – with the exact rate set by your award or agreement. For a full breakdown, see our public holiday penalty rates guide.

Related guides

For the full national public holiday calendar and how other states compare, see our Australian public holidays guide, our NSW public holidays guide, our QLD public holidays guide, our WA public holidays guide, our Victoria public holidays guide, our SA public holidays guide and our ACT public holidays guide. We also have dedicated guides to Australia Day, Anzac Day, Easter in Australia and Boxing Day.

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