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SA public holidays 2026

South Australia recognises 15 public holidays in 2026 — 13 full days plus two part-day holidays (Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, 7pm to midnight) — including Proclamation Day on 26 December (or substituted day) and Adelaide Cup Day on the second Monday in March.

Public holidays in 2026
15
SA-only days
3
Days with penalty rates
15

Every public holiday in 2026

DateDayHolidayCoverage
Thursday 1 January 2026ThuNew Year's DayNational
Monday 26 January 2026MonAustralia DayNational
Monday 9 March 2026MonAdelaide Cup DaySA-only
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 8 June 2026MonKing's Birthday6 of 8
Monday 5 October 2026MonLabour Day3 of 8
Thursday 24 December 2026ThuChristmas Eve (part-day, 7pm to midnight)2 of 8
Friday 25 December 2026FriChristmas DayNational
Saturday 26 December 2026SatProclamation DaySA-only
Monday 28 December 2026MonProclamation Day (additional)SA-only
Thursday 31 December 2026ThuNew Year's Eve (part-day, 7pm to midnight)2 of 8

Sources: The Holidays Act 1910 (SA) sets the public holiday list. Penalty rates come from modern awards under the Fair Work Act 2009. 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.

Next public holiday in SA

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SA public holidays 2027

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

DateDayHolidayCoverage
Friday 1 January 2027FriNew Year's DayNational
Tuesday 26 January 2027TueAustralia DayNational
Monday 8 March 2027MonAdelaide Cup DaySA-only
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 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: The Holidays Act 1910 (SA) sets the public holiday list. Penalty rates come from modern awards under the Fair Work Act 2009. 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 9 March 2026 a public holiday in South Australia?

    Yes — Adelaide Cup Day is a public holiday only in SA.

  • Is Saturday 26 December 2026 a public holiday in South Australia?

    Yes — Proclamation Day is a public holiday only in SA.

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

    Yes — 5 October 2026 is Labour Day in SA.

  • 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?

    Yes — SA has a part-day public holiday on 31 December (7pm to midnight).

  • Is Christmas Eve a public holiday?

    Yes — SA has a part-day public holiday on 24 December (7pm to midnight).

SA quirks worth knowing

  • Adelaide Cup Day is the second Monday in March — a unique South Australian holiday.

  • Proclamation Day (26 December) is celebrated separately from Boxing Day in some industries — a quirk that leads to underpayment errors when employers assume only one is a public holiday.

  • Christmas Eve (24 December) is a part-day public holiday in SA from 7pm to midnight. SA is not alone in this — the Northern Territory has the same 7pm-to-midnight part-day, and Queensland has one from 6pm to midnight. Most other states have no Christmas Eve holiday at all.

  • New Year's Eve (31 December) is also a part-day public holiday in SA from 7pm to midnight, since 2012.

Working a public holiday in SA?

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.

Calculate my public holiday rate →Work out my public holiday pay →Or all penalty rates →

Other states & territories

New South Wales (NSW)View →Victoria (VIC)View →Queensland (QLD)View →Western Australia (WA)View →Tasmania (TAS)View →Australian Capital Territory (ACT)View →Northern Territory (NT)View →

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