Printable 2026 Australian calendar with 8 national public holidays, state-specific holidays, and 365 days displayed from January to December 2026
The year 2026 in the Gregorian calendar contains 365 days, beginning on Thursday 1 January and ending on Thursday 31 December. It is a common year (non-leap year). The calendar 2026 spans 52 weeks and 1 day, with Week 1 starting on Monday 29 December 2025 under the ISO 8601 standard used by Australian businesses.
Australia, a federation of six states and two mainland territories, observes 8 national public holidays gazetted under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). Each state and territory adds between 2 and 5 additional local holidays, producing individual totals of 10 to 13 public holidays per jurisdiction. The 2026 calendar Australia edition maps every national and state-specific holiday across all 8 jurisdictions: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory.
This interactive 2026 calendar displays all 12 months — January 2026 through December 2026 — with colour-coded markers distinguishing national holidays, state holidays, and weekends. The printable calendar 2026 format renders at A4 and US Letter dimensions for wall calendar or desk calendar use.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Year Type | Common year (non-leap) |
| Total Days | 365 |
| Total Weeks | 52 weeks and 1 day |
| First Day | Thursday, 1 January 2026 |
| Last Day | Thursday, 31 December 2026 |
| ISO Week 1 Start | Monday, 29 December 2025 |
| Weekdays (Mon–Fri) | 261 working days |
| Weekend Days (Sat–Sun) | 104 days |
| National Public Holidays | 8 |
| States & Territories | 8 (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT) |
| Dominical Letter | D |
| Chinese Zodiac | Year of the Horse (Fire Horse, starts 17 February 2026) |
The interactive 2026 Australian calendar displays all 12 months with colour-coded date markers for weekends, national public holidays, and state-specific holidays. Arrow buttons navigate between years for past and future date reference. Clicking any highlighted holiday displays the holiday name, applicable jurisdiction, and date details.
Green markers denote national public holidays observed in all 8 jurisdictions. Lighter green markers denote state-specific or territory-specific holidays restricted to individual jurisdictions. Grey shading marks Saturday and Sunday weekend days. Adjacent colour markers between weekends and holidays indicate long weekend formations.
The Long Weekends section lists every multi-day break opportunity in 2026 with the number of annual leave days required and total consecutive days off achieved. Easter 2026 produces a 10-day break from 4 annual leave days. The Christmas–New Year 2026 period produces a 10-day break from 4 annual leave days.
Australia's constitutional structure distributes holiday-setting power between the Commonwealth and state/territory governments. Each state card in the State Holidays section lists holidays unique to that jurisdiction, including Labour Day (which falls on different dates in different states), regional show days, and local commemoration days.
The printable calendar 2026 renders for A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) and US Letter (8.5 in x 11 in) paper sizes. Print via Ctrl+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+P (macOS). The output includes all 12 monthly grids with holiday markers, suitable for wall calendar or desk calendar placement.
Holiday dates derive from official government gazettes published by the Commonwealth Government and each state/territory government. Dates align with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) national holiday schedule and individual state public holiday acts. Gazette amendments trigger immediate updates.
School term dates are not displayed on the main calendar grid. A separate School Holidays 2026 guide provides term dates for all 8 states and territories, including differences between government, Catholic, and independent school sectors.
The 2026 Australian calendar produces 6 long weekend opportunities when public holidays fall adjacent to standard Saturday–Sunday weekends. Strategic annual leave allocation converts 12 leave days into 35 total days off.
| Holiday Period | Dates | Public Holidays | Leave Days Required | Total Days Off | Leave Efficiency Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year 2026 | Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day (Thu 1 Jan) | 1 (Fri 2 Jan) | 4 | 1:4 |
| Australia Day 2026 | Thu 22 Jan – Mon 26 Jan | Australia Day (Mon 26 Jan) | 2 (Thu 22, Fri 23 Jan) | 5 | 1:2.5 |
| Easter 2026 | Sat 28 Mar – Mon 6 Apr | Good Friday (3 Apr), Easter Saturday (4 Apr), Easter Monday (6 Apr) | 4 (Mon 30 Mar – Thu 2 Apr) | 10 | 1:2.5 |
| Anzac Day 2026 | Fri 24 Apr – Mon 27 Apr | Anzac Day (Sat 25 Apr); substitute Monday in most states | 1 (Fri 24 Apr) | 4 | 1:4 |
| Queen's Birthday 2026 | Sat 13 Jun – Mon 15 Jun | Queen's Birthday (Mon 8 Jun) — varies by state | 0 | 3 | N/A (free) |
| Christmas–New Year 2026/27 | Fri 25 Dec – Sun 4 Jan 2027 | Christmas Day (Fri 25 Dec), Boxing Day (Sat 26 Dec), New Year's Day 2027 (Thu 1 Jan) | 4 (Mon 28 – Thu 31 Dec) | 10 | 1:2.5 |
| Annual Total | 12 days | 36 days | 1:3 average | ||
Thursday 1 January – Sunday 4 January
New Year's Day 2026 falls on a Thursday. Taking Friday 2 January as annual leave produces a 4-day break (Thursday through Sunday). New Year's Day has been a national public holiday in Australia since Federation in 1901.
Leave Required: 1 day | Days Off: 4 days
Thursday 22 January – Monday 26 January
Australia Day 2026 falls on Monday 26 January, creating a standard 3-day weekend. Taking Thursday 22 and Friday 23 January as leave extends the break to 5 consecutive days. Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788.
Leave Required: 2 days | Days Off: 5 days
Saturday 28 March – Monday 6 April
Easter 2026 provides 3 consecutive public holidays: Good Friday (3 April), Easter Saturday (4 April), and Easter Monday (6 April). Taking Monday 30 March through Thursday 2 April as leave creates a 10-day break. Easter dates are determined by the computus algorithm, pegging the holiday to the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the March equinox.
Leave Required: 4 days | Days Off: 10 days
Friday 24 April – Monday 27 April
Anzac Day 2026 falls on Saturday 25 April. Most states and territories gazette a substitute public holiday on Monday 27 April when Anzac Day falls on a weekend. Taking Friday 24 April as leave produces a 4-day break. Anzac Day has been a national public holiday since 1921, commemorating the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.
Leave Required: 1 day | Days Off: 4 days
Saturday 13 June – Monday 15 June (NSW, VIC, TAS, ACT, SA)
The Queen's Birthday public holiday falls on the second Monday of June in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, and South Australia. Queensland observes this holiday on the last Monday in October. Western Australia observes it on the fourth Monday in September. The holiday does not mark the actual birthday of any reigning monarch; the June date was adopted from the British tradition of celebrating the sovereign's official birthday in early summer.
Leave Required: 0 days | Days Off: 3 days
Friday 25 December – Sunday 4 January 2027
Christmas Day 2026 falls on Friday 25 December. Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December, with a substitute public holiday on Monday 28 December in most jurisdictions. Taking Tuesday 29 through Thursday 31 December as leave, combined with New Year's Day 2027 (Thursday 1 January), produces a 10-day break. Christmas Day has been a public holiday in Australia since colonial settlement; Boxing Day derives from the British tradition of distributing gifts to servants and tradespeople on 26 December.
Leave Required: 4 days | Days Off: 10 days
Allocating 12 annual leave days across 6 holiday periods yields 36 total days off in 2026, a leave efficiency ratio of 1:3. Full-time employees under the National Employment Standards receive 4 weeks (20 days) of paid annual leave, meaning 60% of the annual allocation produces 36 non-working days.
Australia's constitutional structure divides holiday-setting authority between the Commonwealth and 8 state/territory governments. All jurisdictions observe the 8 national public holidays. Each state and territory gazetted additional holidays produce totals ranging from 10 (NSW) to 13 (ACT) public holidays per year.
| Holiday | Date | Day of Week | Substitute Day (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday | — |
| Australia Day | 26 January 2026 | Monday | — |
| Good Friday | 3 April 2026 | Friday | — |
| Easter Saturday | 4 April 2026 | Saturday | — |
| Easter Monday | 6 April 2026 | Monday | — |
| Anzac Day | 25 April 2026 | Saturday | Monday 27 April (most states) |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday | — |
| Boxing Day | 26 December 2026 | Saturday | Monday 28 December (most states) |
New South Wales observes 8 national public holidays plus the Queen's Birthday on the second Monday of June. NSW also gazetted a Bank Holiday (first Monday in August) restricted to financial institutions under the Banks and Bank Holidays Act 1912 (NSW). NSW does not observe a state-specific Labour Day public holiday.
Total NSW public holidays in 2026: 10 (including 8 national + Queen's Birthday + Bank Holiday for eligible workers).
Victoria observes 8 national public holidays plus 3 state-specific holidays. Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday in November) is gazetted under the Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic) for the Melbourne metropolitan area and designated regional council areas. AFL Grand Final Friday is a gazetted public holiday statewide since 2015.
Total VIC public holidays in 2026: 13 (Melbourne metro) or 12 (regional areas without Melbourne Cup).
Queensland is the only state that observes the Queen's Birthday in October instead of June. This change took effect in 2012 to distribute holidays more evenly across the calendar year. The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) holiday applies to the Brisbane metropolitan area; non-Brisbane areas observe a locally gazetted show holiday instead.
Total QLD public holidays in 2026: 11 (including 8 national + 3 state-specific).
South Australia observes 4 state-specific holidays in addition to the 8 national holidays. Proclamation Day (28 December) commemorates the proclamation of South Australia as a British province on 28 December 1836. Adelaide Cup Day is a half-day public holiday in the Adelaide metropolitan area.
Total SA public holidays in 2026: 12 (including 8 national + 4 state-specific).
Western Australia observes 3 state-specific holidays. Western Australia Day (1 June) commemorates the foundation of the Swan River Colony on 1 June 1829. WA is one of two states (with Queensland) that observes the Queen's Birthday outside June, placing it on the fourth Monday in September.
Total WA public holidays in 2026: 11 (including 8 national + 3 state-specific).
Tasmania observes 4 state-specific holidays, including regionally split holidays. Eight Hours Day (Tasmania's Labour Day) commemorates the eight-hour working day movement that originated in Melbourne in 1856 and spread to Hobart. Recreation Day applies to northern Tasmania only; southern Tasmania observes the Royal Hobart Regatta instead.
Total TAS public holidays in 2026: 11 (southern) or 11 (northern), with different regional holidays.
The Northern Territory observes 3 territory-specific holidays. May Day (first Monday in May) serves as the NT's Labour Day equivalent. Picnic Day (first Monday in August) originated as a railway workers' holiday in 1900 and became a general public holiday under the Public Holidays Act 1981 (NT). Show Day varies by locality.
Total NT public holidays in 2026: 12 (including 8 national + 3 territory-wide + 1 local show day).
The ACT observes 5 territory-specific holidays, the highest count of any jurisdiction. Canberra Day (second Monday in March) commemorates the official naming of Australia's capital on 12 March 1913. Reconciliation Day (27 May or nearest Monday) was introduced in 2018, replacing Family & Community Day, to recognise the importance of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Total ACT public holidays in 2026: 13 (including 8 national + 5 territory-specific).
Operational considerations for planning travel, accommodation, and annual leave around Australian public holidays in 2026. Covers booking lead times, interstate holiday date differences, business closure schedules, and leave submission deadlines.
Australian accommodation providers in high-demand areas (Gold Coast, Great Barrier Reef, Margaret River, Byron Bay) reach capacity 3 to 6 months before Easter and Christmas long weekends. Queen's Birthday weekend (June) and Anzac Day weekend (April) carry shorter lead times of 4 to 8 weeks. Off-peak long weekends (e.g., Canberra Day, May Day) typically require 2 to 4 weeks advance booking.
Australian public holidays vary by state and territory. Labour Day falls on different dates across 6 jurisdictions (March in VIC and WA, May in QLD and NT, October in SA and ACT). Queen's Birthday falls in June (NSW, VIC, TAS, ACT, SA), September (WA), and October (QLD). Melbourne Cup Day (3 November 2026) applies only to metropolitan Melbourne. Interstate business travel requires verification of destination-state holiday schedules.
Domestic airfares and accommodation rates decrease 15% to 40% in the 48 hours immediately following major public holiday weekends. Post-Easter (Tuesday 7 April 2026 onward) and post-Australia Day (Tuesday 27 January onward) represent the most significant shoulder pricing periods. Midweek departures (Tuesday–Thursday) surrounding any long weekend carry lower fares than Friday or Monday travel.
Australian businesses follow state-specific restricted trading legislation on public holidays. Banks, Australia Post, and government offices close on all gazetted public holidays. Supermarkets operate under restricted hours (typically 10:00–16:00) on Good Friday, Christmas Day, and Anzac Day morning. The Christmas–New Year period (25 December – 1 January) produces the longest consecutive closure period for government services.
Under most enterprise agreements, annual leave requests operate on a first-come-first-served basis. Easter 2026 (3–6 April) and Christmas 2026 (25 December onward) are the two highest-demand leave periods. Submitting leave requests in January for the full calendar year increases approval probability. The National Employment Standards guarantee 4 weeks (20 days) of paid annual leave for full-time employees per year.
Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook support automatic subscription to Australian public holiday feeds. Google Calendar provides a built-in "Holidays in Australia" calendar under regional settings. Apple Calendar users add the Australian holiday calendar via Settings → Calendar Accounts. ICS feed subscriptions update automatically when state governments gazette date changes. See our digital calendar sync guide for step-by-step instructions.
Declarative answers to questions about Australia's 2026 public holiday dates, employment entitlements, and jurisdictional differences.
Australia has 8 national public holidays in 2026: New Year's Day (1 January), Australia Day (26 January), Good Friday (3 April), Easter Saturday (4 April), Easter Monday (6 April), Anzac Day (25 April), Christmas Day (25 December), and Boxing Day (26 December). Each state and territory gazetted 2 to 5 additional holidays, producing individual jurisdiction totals between 10 (NSW) and 13 (ACT, VIC metro).
Easter 2026 dates: Good Friday 3 April, Easter Saturday 4 April, Easter Sunday 5 April, Easter Monday 6 April. Three of these four days (Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday) are gazetted national public holidays. Easter Sunday is a restricted trading day in most states but not a gazetted public holiday in all jurisdictions. The 2026 Easter date is determined by the computus algorithm based on the March equinox and the subsequent full moon.
The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) section 116 entitles employees who work on public holidays to penalty rates defined by their applicable Modern Award or enterprise agreement. Standard penalty rates across most awards: permanent full-time and part-time employees receive 200% to 250% of ordinary pay; casual employees receive 175% to 275% of ordinary pay (inclusive of casual loading). Permanent employees who do not work receive their ordinary base pay for the day.
When a national public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, most states gazette a substitute public holiday on the following Monday. In 2026, Anzac Day (25 April) falls on Saturday and Boxing Day (26 December) falls on Saturday. Substitute holiday rules vary: NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, and ACT each specify substitution provisions in their respective public holidays legislation. The Commonwealth Fair Work Act 2009 does not mandate uniform substitution rules, deferring to state law.
Queensland moved its Queen's Birthday holiday from the second Monday in June to the last Monday in October effective 2012. The Queensland Government cited two reasons: redistribution of public holidays across the full calendar year (Queensland had 5 of 8 public holidays in the first 6 months), and alignment with spring weather conditions for outdoor events. Queensland is the only Australian state that observes this holiday outside June.
Melbourne Cup Day (first Tuesday in November; 3 November 2026) is gazetted under the Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic) as a public holiday in the Melbourne metropolitan area and specific surrounding local government areas. Regional areas outside the gazetted boundary do not observe Melbourne Cup Day. Some regional councils gazette alternative local holidays (e.g., show days) on different dates. Employers in border areas verify their designation through the Victorian Government's official local government area list.
Section 114 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) permits employees to refuse unreasonable requests to work on public holidays. The Act specifies factors for determining reasonableness: the nature of the employer's enterprise, the employee's role and personal circumstances (including family responsibilities), whether the employee receives additional compensation, the amount of notice provided, and the employee's typical working patterns. The burden of establishing reasonableness falls on the employer.
Public holidays are single gazetted days applying to the general workforce under Commonwealth and state legislation. School holidays are multi-week term breaks set by state and territory education departments. The Australian school year consists of 4 terms separated by 3 mid-year breaks (each approximately 2 weeks) and 1 summer break (6 to 7 weeks, December–January). School term dates vary by state and between government, Catholic, and independent school sectors. Public holidays and school holidays overlap during Easter and the Christmas period.
Casual employees who work on public holidays receive penalty rates as specified by their applicable Modern Award. Casual workers not rostered on a public holiday receive no payment for that day. The casual loading (typically 25%) does not substitute for public holiday penalty rates; casual public holiday rates are calculated separately and are inclusive of the casual loading component. Rates range from 175% to 275% of the ordinary hourly rate depending on the specific award.
A public holiday is a gazetted day off for all workers across a jurisdiction, with entitlement to paid leave or penalty rates under the Fair Work Act 2009. A bank holiday applies exclusively to financial institutions. New South Wales is the sole Australian state that gazetted a bank holiday (first Monday in August), enacted under the Banks and Bank Holidays Act 1912 (NSW). Non-financial businesses operate normally on bank holidays. Employees of non-financial businesses hold no entitlement to time off or penalty rates on bank holidays.
Expert guides to help you make the most of 2026 in Australia.
Turn your twenty annual leave days into forty or more days off with our strategic planning guide. Learn optimal times to book leave around public holidays.
Read Full GuideComplete guide to school term dates and holiday periods for NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, and ACT. Essential for family holiday planning.
Read Full GuidePlan the perfect Christmas 2026 holidays. Discover when to book, where to go, and how to maximise your summer break.
Read Full GuideEverything you need to know about Easter 2026. Find out when Easter falls, what's open and closed, plus strategic leave tips.
Read Full GuideDiscover the perfect destinations for each long weekend in 2026. From beach escapes to mountain retreats and wine country adventures.
Read Full GuideComplete guide to ANZAC Day 2026. Learn about dawn services, commemorations, and how to observe this significant national day.
Read Full GuideStep-by-step guide to adding Australian public holidays to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook.
Read Full GuideUnderstand your public holiday pay rights including penalty rates and casual vs permanent entitlements.
Read Full GuideComplete chronological guide to every long weekend opportunity with dates and planning tips.
Read Full GuideLooking for a physical 2026 wall calendar or desk calendar? Get organised with these top-rated calendars and planners - perfect for home, office, or as a personalised calendar gift.
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Calendar 2026 Australia is an independent reference resource that catalogues all public holidays, state-specific holidays, and calendar date properties for the 2026 Gregorian calendar year in Australia. The site covers all 8 Australian jurisdictions: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory.
National public holiday dates derive from the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the Fair Work Ombudsman's published schedule. State and territory holiday dates derive from each jurisdiction's public holidays legislation: the Public Holidays Act 2010 (NSW), Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic), Holidays Act 1983 (Qld), Holidays Act 1910 (SA), Public and Bank Holidays Act 1972 (WA), Statutory Holidays Act 2000 (Tas), Public Holidays Act 1981 (NT), and Holidays Act 1958 (ACT). Dates are cross-referenced against government gazette notices.
The interactive calendar displays all 365 days of 2026 (Thursday 1 January through Thursday 31 December) with colour-coded markers for 8 national public holidays, state-specific holidays across all 8 jurisdictions, and standard Saturday–Sunday weekends. The printable calendar format supports A4 and US Letter paper sizes. Additional content covers long weekend scheduling, annual leave optimisation, and penalty rate entitlements under Australian employment law.
The calendar application runs in standard web browsers (Chrome 60+, Firefox 55+, Safari 12+, Edge 79+) using HTML5, CSS3, and vanilla JavaScript with no external dependencies. The responsive design adapts to desktop, tablet, and mobile screen widths. Print stylesheets optimise output for physical wall calendar and desk calendar formats. Page load requires no server-side processing; all data is embedded in static files.
Australia's public holiday system operates across two legislative tiers. The Commonwealth Government designates 8 national public holidays under the Fair Work Act 2009. Each state and territory government gazetted 2 to 5 additional holidays under their respective public holidays legislation, producing jurisdiction-specific totals of 10 (NSW) to 13 (ACT, VIC metro) public holidays per year. Substitute holiday rules (when a holiday falls on a weekend) vary by jurisdiction.
Holiday dates are verified against official government sources at publication and updated when state or territory governments gazette amendments. Blog articles covering annual leave strategy, school holidays, and employment entitlements are published in alignment with the 2026 calendar year.