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NSW public holidays 2026

New South Wales recognises 13 general public holidays in 2026 — the national days plus King's Birthday, Labour Day, the extra Anzac Day Monday and the additional day for Boxing Day. Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday are both FULL public holidays in NSW, not half-days, under the Public Holidays Act 2010 (NSW). The NSW Bank Holiday in August is listed below as well, but it is a restricted holiday for banks and financial institutions rather than a general public holiday.

Public holidays in 2026
14
NSW-only days
1
Days with penalty rates
14

Every public holiday in 2026

DateDayHolidayCoverage
Thursday 1 January 2026ThuNew Year's DayNational
Monday 26 January 2026MonAustralia DayNational
Friday 3 April 2026FriGood FridayNational
Saturday 4 April 2026SatSaturday before Easter Sunday6 of 8
Sunday 5 April 2026SunEaster Sunday7 of 8
Monday 6 April 2026MonEaster MondayNational
Saturday 25 April 2026SatAnzac DayNational
Monday 27 April 2026MonAnzac Day (additional)3 of 8
Monday 8 June 2026MonKing's Birthday6 of 8
Monday 3 August 2026MonBank HolidayNSW-only
Monday 5 October 2026MonLabour Day3 of 8
Friday 25 December 2026FriChristmas DayNational
Saturday 26 December 2026SatBoxing Day6 of 8
Monday 28 December 2026MonBoxing Day (additional)6 of 8

Sources: Modern awards and the Fair Work Act 2009 set most of the penalty-rate entitlements, but NSW state legislation defines which days are public holidays. Always cross-check with the current state gazette for any year-of substitutions when a holiday falls on a weekend.

Working it? Public holiday penalty rates depend on your award — check your public holiday rate or browse all penalty rates.

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NSW public holidays 2027

Every NSW date below for 2027 is gazetted by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

DateDayHolidayCoverage
Friday 1 January 2027FriNew Year's DayNational
Tuesday 26 January 2027TueAustralia DayNational
Friday 26 March 2027FriGood FridayNational
Saturday 27 March 2027SatEaster Saturday6 of 8
Sunday 28 March 2027SunEaster SundayNational
Monday 29 March 2027MonEaster MondayNational
Sunday 25 April 2027SunANZAC Day5 of 8
Monday 26 April 2027MonANZAC Day (additional)2 of 8
Monday 14 June 2027MonKing's Birthday6 of 8
Monday 4 October 2027MonLabour Day3 of 8
Saturday 25 December 2027SatChristmas DayNational
Sunday 26 December 2027SunBoxing Day7 of 8
Monday 27 December 2027MonChristmas Day (additional)National
Tuesday 28 December 2027TueBoxing Day (additional)7 of 8

Sources: Modern awards and the Fair Work Act 2009 set most of the penalty-rate entitlements, but NSW state legislation defines which days are public holidays. 2027 dates are from the Fair Work Ombudsman’s published 2027 public holidays list; provisional dates above are re-checked against that list as the year approaches.

Working it? Public holiday penalty rates depend on your award — check your public holiday rate or browse all penalty rates.

Is it a public holiday?

  • Is Monday 3 August 2026 a public holiday in New South Wales?

    Yes — Bank Holiday is a public holiday only in NSW.

  • Is Monday 5 October 2026 a public holiday in New South Wales?

    Yes — 5 October 2026 is Labour Day in NSW.

  • Is Father's Day a public holiday?

    No — Father's Day is a Sunday in September with no public-holiday status anywhere in Australia.

  • Is New Year's Eve a public holiday?

    No — New Year's Eve is not a public holiday in NSW.

  • Is Christmas Eve a public holiday?

    No — Christmas Eve is not a public holiday in NSW.

NSW quirks worth knowing

  • Bank Holiday on the first Monday of August is a NSW-specific holiday — and is a substituted holiday only for some industries (banks, insurers).

  • If 25 April (Anzac Day) falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the Public Holidays Act 2010 (NSW) does not provide for a substitute day. The day itself remains the holiday.

  • If Christmas Day or Boxing Day fall on a weekend, additional public holidays are added on the following Monday and/or Tuesday — these vary year to year.

Working a public holiday in NSW?

The penalty rate that applies depends on your modern award and employment type. Use our calculator to see the exact rate for your award + classification + state combination.

Other states & territories

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