Australian Public Holidays 2026: Full Calendar by State

Australia has between 10 and 14 public holidays a year depending on which state or territory you’re in, and the exact dates shift every year because several are tied to Easter, the King’s Birthday, or a specific weekday rather than a fixed calendar date. For international students, public holidays affect more than just a day off: they can close your uni’s administrative offices, change your casual work pay rate, shut down public transport’s weekday timetable, and shift assignment deadlines. This guide covers the full 2026 calendar for every state and territory, what’s actually open or closed, and how to use these days properly as a new arrival.

The holidays every state and territory shares in 2026

These are observed nationwide, though the exact weekday and any Monday substitute can differ slightly by state.

King’s Birthday is observed in every state and territory except Queensland and Western Australia use different dates — see the state tables below for the exact day where you live.

Full 2026 public holiday calendar by state and territory

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman. These are the gazetted public holidays for each jurisdiction — some regional-only holidays (like Tasmania’s local show days) apply only in specific council areas.

New South Wales (Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Parramatta)

The NT is the only Australian jurisdiction with Picnic Day, plus five rotating regional Show Days that mean almost every Territorian gets a Show Day off on a different date depending on where they live. See our NT public holidays 2026 guide for the complete calendar, Picnic Day’s history, all five Show Day dates and real Darwin and Alice Springs locations.

For the full NSW calendar with real Sydney locations and events for each date, see our NSW public holidays guide.

Victoria (Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat)

Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba)

Victoria has two public holidays no other state gets – AFL Grand Final Friday and Melbourne Cup Day – plus a full history of how Melbourne celebrates Australia Day, Anzac Day and Labour Day/Moomba. See our Victoria public holidays 2026 guide for the complete calendar, real locations and maps.

For the full QLD calendar including how the regional Show Day system works, see our QLD public holidays guide.

Western Australia (Perth)

For the full WA calendar including real Perth locations for the big ones, see our WA public holidays guide.

South Australia (Adelaide)

Tasmania (Hobart, Launceston)

South Australia has 15 public holidays in 2026 – more than any other state – including two unique part-day holidays (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, 7pm to midnight) and the Proclamation Day/Proclamation Day holiday naming quirk. See our SA public holidays 2026 guide for the complete calendar, real locations and maps.

Tasmania also observes regional-only show and regatta days (Royal Hobart Regatta, Royal Hobart Show, Recreation Day) that apply only in specific council areas — check your local council if you’re in Hobart or Launceston.

Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

Tasmania is unique among Australian states: several public holidays, including the Royal Hobart Regatta, the Royal Hobart Show, Recreation Day and the Royal Launceston Show, legally apply only in specific parts of the state – so Hobart and Launceston workers can have genuinely different days off. See our Tasmania public holidays 2026 guide for the complete calendar, regional breakdown, real locations and maps.

Northern Territory (Darwin)

The ACT has two public holidays that exist nowhere else in Australia – Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day – plus the most public holidays of any territory alongside South Australia. See our ACT public holidays 2026 guide for the complete calendar, real Canberra locations and maps.

The holidays that matter most for new arrivals

Australia Day (26 January) marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove. It’s a major public holiday with barbecues, fireworks and citizenship ceremonies, but it’s also a contested date — many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their supporters refer to it as Invasion Day or Survival Day, marking the start of colonisation and its impact on First Nations people. You’ll likely see both celebrations and protest marches covered in the news around this date; it’s a genuinely divisive day in Australian public life, Read our full Australia Day 2026 guide for the date, history and how to navigate it respectfully.

Anzac Day (25 April) commemorates Australian and New Zealand military personnel, originally those who served at Gallipoli in 1915. Dawn services are held nationwide from around 4:30–5am, followed by marches through city centres. Two-up (a traditional gambling game) is legally permitted in pubs and clubs on this one day only. It’s treated with genuine solemnity — most shops close until 1pm even where they’d normally open on other public holidays.

Boxing Day (26 December) is one of the country’s biggest retail events, with major sales at shopping centres starting from early morning. In Melbourne it also marks the start of the Boxing Day Test cricket match at the MCG, and in Sydney, the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. See our full Boxing Day guide for the state-by-state public holiday rules, including why South Australia and Tasmania handle it differently.

Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday of November, only a holiday in Victoria) is nicknamed “the race that stops a nation” — even outside Victoria, many workplaces and share houses nationwide run their own sweepstakes and pause for the race at around 3pm AEDT. See our full Melbourne Cup Day guide for exactly which regional Victorian towns swap the holiday for their own local race day.

Do universities actually close on public holidays?

Administrative offices, libraries and student services generally close on gazetted public holidays. Whether your classes run depends entirely on your university’s own academic calendar and how it treats that specific weekday — some universities schedule around public holidays that fall mid-week during teaching periods, others don’t, and a Saturday public holiday like Anzac Day in 2026 won’t affect a weekday timetable at all. Always check your specific university’s academic calendar rather than assuming; “public holiday” doesn’t automatically mean “no class” in the way it does for full-time office work.

Assignment deadlines that fall on or immediately after a public holiday are handled differently by every institution — some automatically extend to the next business day, others don’t. If a due date lands on or near one of the dates above, confirm with your unit coordinator or check your subject outline rather than assuming an automatic extension.

Working on a public holiday as a student

If you have a part-time or casual job and you’re rostered to work on a public holiday, you’re generally entitled to a higher pay rate under the relevant award — often 150% to 250% of your normal casual rate depending on the industry and your employment type. The exact loading depends on your specific award (hospitality, retail and fast food all have different rates), so check your payslip against your award rather than assuming a flat figure. For the full breakdown of penalty rates, weekend loading and public holiday pay across different industries, see our penalty rates and public holiday pay guide.

What's actually open or closed

Bottom line

Every state shares the same four fixed-date holidays, but your actual total and exact dates depend on where you live — always check your specific state’s calendar rather than assuming a friend’s dates in another city apply to you. For work pay, check your award; for classes and deadlines, check your university’s own academic calendar rather than assuming a public holiday automatically means no class or an automatic extension.