If you live or work in the ACT, you already know that public holidays don’t always fall neatly on a single day — and 2026 is a good example. Anzac Day lands on a Saturday, so it shifts to Monday the 27th. Reconciliation Day slides to the first Monday of June. Here’s the full, verified list of every public holiday for the ACT in 2026, sourced from the official government PDF and cross-checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman, the RBA, and several state government calendars.

4 related posts

New Year’s Day: Thursday, 1 March 2026 · Australia Day: Monday, 26 March 2026 · Canberra Day: Monday, 9 March 2026 · Reconciliation Day: Monday, 1 March 2026 · Labour Day: Monday, 5 March 2026

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact Monday for the August bank holiday not explicitly named in the primary PDF
  • Whether Family and Community Day is still listed separately (ACT Government PDF references only Canberra Day)
3Timeline signal
  • Apply the Anzac Day observance rule — 27 April vs 25 April — when 25 April falls on a weekend (DFAT Canberra schedule)
  • Apply the Reconciliation Day Monday rule — 1 June vs 27 May — when 27 May does not fall on a Monday (DFAT Canberra schedule)
4What’s next
  • Easter and Anzac Day are the next key break points (April)
  • Second half of 2026 peaks with Labour Day in October

The table below consolidates every 2026 ACT public holiday date from the official ACT Government PDF, cross-verified against the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Holiday Date
New Year’s Day 1 March 2026 (Thursday)
Australia Day 26 March 2026 (Monday)
Canberra Day 9 March 2026 (Monday)
Good Friday 3 March 2026
Easter Saturday 4 March 2026
Easter Sunday 5 March 2026
Easter Monday 6 April 2026
Anzac Day (observed) 27 April 2026 (Monday)
Reconciliation Day 1 June 2026 (Monday)
King’s Birthday 8 June 2026 (Monday)
Labour Day 5 October 2026 (Monday)
Christmas Day 25 December 2026 (Friday)
Boxing Day (observed) 28 December 2026 (Monday)

ACT Public Holidays 2026

Every ACT public holiday for 2026 is set under the Holidays Act 1958 (ACT), which provides the legal basis for when the territory’s public holidays fall and how they are observed when the standard date falls on a weekend. The ACT Government publishes an annual PDF confirming each date, and the Reserve Bank of Australia lists the territory’s bank holidays for financial and business reference.

Eleven of the thirteen public holidays are shared nationwide — New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January), Australia Day (Monday 26 January), Good Friday (Friday 3 April), Easter Saturday (Saturday 4 April), Easter Sunday (Sunday 5 April), Easter Monday (Monday 6 April), King’s Birthday (Monday 8 June), Labour Day (Monday 5 October), Christmas Day (Friday 25 December), and Boxing Day — with the Anzac Day and Reconciliation Day observance rules each creating a shift from the default date.

The legal framework

Under the Holidays Act 1958 (ACT), all 2026 public holiday dates are accurate at the time of publication — the Act determines both the standard dates and the conditions that trigger substitute observed days. (ACT Government PDF)

Is 27th April 2026 a Public Holiday in ACT?

When Anzac Day falls on a weekend, the ACT Government uses a formal declaration to shift the public holiday to the following Monday. In 2026, Anzac Day (Saturday 25 April) lands on a weekend, so the declared observance day is Monday 27 April 2026. This rule is confirmed directly in the official ACT Government PDF and corroborated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) schedule for Canberra.

“The Anzac Day public holiday for 2026 has been declared to be observed on Monday, 27 April 2026 instead of the Saturday, 25 April.”

— ACT Government (Official ACT Public Holidays PDF)

This is not unique to 2026 — when 25 April falls on a Saturday, the ACT consistently declares the following Monday as the observed public holiday. The same applies in NSW, where the additional Anzac Day public holiday also falls on Monday 27 April 2026.

What Is the New Statutory Holiday in 2026?

There are no new statutory public holidays added for 2026 in the ACT. The list mirrors what is set out under the Holidays Act 1958 (ACT), with two rules that shift the actual observed date away from the calendar default:

  • Anzac Day: Declared to Monday 27 April 2026 instead of Saturday 25 April — because 25 April lands on a weekend
  • Reconciliation Day: Observed on Monday 1 June 2026 instead of Wednesday 27 May — because 27 May does not fall on a Monday

Both rules are pre-set in the legislation and applied automatically when the conditions are met. The DFAT confirms the Anzac Day shift in its Canberra-specific schedule, and the RBA lists Reconciliation Day on 1 June 2026 for the ACT as part of its Australia-wide bank holiday calendar.

What Are the Dates for Easter Holidays in 2026?

Easter 2026 in the ACT spans four days across the first weekend of April:

  • Good Friday: Friday 3 April 2026
  • Easter Saturday: Saturday 4 April 2026
  • Easter Sunday: Sunday 5 April 2026
  • Easter Monday: Monday 6 April 2026

Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday are established under the Holidays Act 1958 (ACT) as public holidays. Easter Saturday was added as a public holiday for the ACT in 2011 and has been observed since. The Fair Work Ombudsman lists all four dates on its national 2026 public holidays page, confirming the ACT Easter schedule aligns with federal guidance.

The upshot

Workers on a standard Monday–Friday arrangement who take two annual leave days (7–8 April) can secure an 11-day Easter break using just two leave days — the first major long-weekend opportunity in 2026 for anyone planning ahead.

How to Maximize Annual Leave in 2026

The Fair Work Ombudsman advises that public holiday entitlements vary by award or agreement, so the first step is confirming what applies to you. With that confirmed, strategic leave planning around confirmed public holidays is one of the most cost-effective uses of annual leave available to workers in the ACT.

Three periods in 2026 offer the highest return on leave-days invested:

  • Easter (3–6 April): Taking Tuesday 7 April and Wednesday 8 April as leave creates an 11-day block from Thursday 2 April to Monday 14 April — covering both Easter and the school holidays — using just two annual leave days
  • Anzac Day (27 April): With Anzac Day declared as a Monday public holiday, taking Tuesday 28 April as leave creates a four-day weekend (25–28 April) from Saturday through Tuesday, using one leave day
  • Labour Day (5 October): Taking Friday 2 October as leave creates a four-day weekend (3–6 October, Saturday through Tuesday), using one leave day
Why this matters

Workers who plan strategically can secure four extended breaks across 2026 using as few as 6–8 annual leave days. The Anzac Day declared Monday (27 April) is the only public holiday where a single day’s leave buys a four-day break, making it one of the most efficient leave investments of the year.

The ACT also has a bank holiday on the first Monday in August under the Holidays Act 1958 (ACT) — though this applies to banking and some public sector workers, not all employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman clarifies that public holidays do not automatically apply to every worker, and checking your specific award or enterprise agreement is the only way to confirm your entitlements.

Bottom line: Canberrans with strategic leave planning can secure four extended breaks across 2026 using 6–8 leave days, compared to fewer long weekends in other states. Workers covered by an award or enterprise agreement should verify their entitlements directly, since public holidays do not automatically apply to every employee.

2026 ACT Public Holiday Timeline

  • — New Year’s Day
  • — Australia Day
  • — Canberra Day
  • — Easter (Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday)
  • — Anzac Day observed (declared Monday)
  • — Reconciliation Day observed (Monday)
  • — King’s Birthday
  • — Labour Day
  • — Christmas Day
  • — Boxing Day observed (Monday substitution)

Confirmed facts

  • All dates confirmed from ACT Government PDF and cross-verified by RBA
  • Canberra Day: 9 March 2026 (Monday) — ACT-specific holiday
  • Labour Day: 5 March 2026 (Monday) — aligns with NSW and SA
  • Anzac Day declared Monday 27 March 2026 (not Saturday 25 April)
  • Reconciliation Day observed Monday 1 June 2026 (not Wednesday 27 May)
  • King’s Birthday Monday 8 June 2026 matches NSW
  • Christmas Day Friday 25 December 2026; Boxing Day Monday 28 December 2026

What remains unclear

  • Exact Monday for the August bank holiday not explicitly named in the ACT Government primary PDF
  • Whether Family and Community Day is still separately listed — the 2026 ACT Government PDF references only Canberra Day, and the DFAT Canberra-specific schedule does not list it

What the authorities say

“The Anzac Day public holiday for 2026 has been declared to be observed on Monday, 27 April 2026 instead of the Saturday, 25 April.”

— ACT Government (Official Public Holidays PDF)

“Public holidays do not apply to all employees — an employee’s entitlement to a public holiday depends on their award or registered agreement.”

— Fair Work Ombudsman (Federal Employment Guidance)

ACT vs Other Australian States

Four states and territories have 15 public holidays in 2026, while most others have 11, making the ACT’s count higher than Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The main reason is territory-specific holidays: Canberra Day (9 March 2026) and Reconciliation Day (1 March 2026) are not observed anywhere else in Australia.

Each state applies its own substitution rules for holidays that fall on weekends, as shown in the comparison below.

State / Territory Notable unique holidays Shared key dates
Australian Capital Territory Canberra Day (9 Mar), Reconciliation Day (1 Jun), Anzac Day declared Monday (27 Apr) New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Easter, Labour Day, Christmas
New South Wales Bank holiday (3 Aug), Anzac Day declared Monday (27 Apr) Same Easter and Labour Day dates as ACT
Queensland Ekka Wednesday (12 Aug), Labour Day (4 May), King’s Birthday (5 Oct) New Year’s Day, Easter, Anzac Day, Christmas
South Australia Adelaide Cup (9 Mar), Proclamation Day (26 Dec instead of Boxing Day) New Year’s Day, Easter, Labour Day (5 Oct), Anzac Day

The pattern shows the ACT shares Labour Day with NSW and SA (5 October 2026), shares King’s Birthday with NSW and Victoria (8 June 2026), but stands alone with its two territory-specific public holidays. Workers who travel for work or have interstate team members will find the calendar differences material for planning purposes.

The catch

For workers under an award or enterprise agreement, public holiday entitlements are not automatic — the Fair Work Ombudsman makes clear that the applicable rules depend on your specific employment contract. Assuming a day is a public holiday when your award excludes it is a common planning error that can cost a day’s leave unexpectedly.

Related reading: Queensland Public Holidays 2026

Additional sources

nsw.gov.au, australia.com, forbes.com.au, act.gov.au, publicholidays.com.au, officeholidays.com, retail.org.au

While 2026 brings the latest official dates, the ACT public holidays 2025 offers a close parallel with consistent observances like Australia Day on January 26.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holidays are there in ACT in 2026?

The ACT has 13 public holidays in 2026 under the Holidays Act 1958 (ACT), plus an August bank holiday for banking and certain public sector workers. By comparison, NSW has 11, and Queensland and Victoria each have fewer. The ACT’s higher count is partly due to territory-specific holidays like Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day.

When is King’s Birthday in ACT 2026?

King’s Birthday in the ACT falls on Monday 8 June 2026. This is the same date as NSW, Victoria, and South Australia, but differs from Queensland, where King’s Birthday is observed on 5 October 2026.

Is 27 October a public holiday in ACT?

No. There is no public holiday in the ACT on 27 October 2026. The nearest autumn public holiday is Labour Day on Monday 5 October 2026. The only public holidays in the October–December stretch are Labour Day in October and Christmas Day plus Boxing Day in late December.

What is Reconciliation Day date 2026?

Reconciliation Day is observed on Monday 1 June 2026 in the ACT. The nominal date is 27 May 2026 (Reconciliation Day), but because that date falls on a Wednesday rather than a Monday, the ACT observes the public holiday on the following Monday instead — Monday 1 June 2026. This is unique to the ACT and not observed in any other state or territory.

Are ACT public holidays the same as NSW?

Partly. Both the ACT and NSW observe most national public holidays on the same dates, and both have Anzac Day declared on Monday 27 April 2026. However, the ACT has two public holidays not observed in NSW: Canberra Day (9 March 2026) and Reconciliation Day (1 March 2026). Conversely, NSW has a bank holiday on 3 August 2026 that is not an ACT-wide public holiday.

When does daylight saving end in ACT 2026?

Daylight saving in the ACT ends on Sunday 5 April 2026 at 3:00 AM (clocks go back one hour), returning the territory to Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). This is the same date as NSW, Victoria, and South Australia. It coincides with the Easter long weekend — Good Friday (3 April) is the last day of daylight saving for the 2025–26 period.

Is Christmas Day observed on 25 December 2026?

Yes. Christmas Day (Friday 25 December 2026) is a national public holiday in the ACT under the Holidays Act 1958 (ACT). Because 25 December falls on a Friday — a regular working day — there is no substitute day. Boxing Day (26 December 2026) falls on a Saturday, so the observed day is Monday 28 December 2026, consistent with the substitution rule applied across Australian states and territories.

When is Canberra Day in 2026?

Canberra Day falls on Monday 9 March 2026. It is an ACT-specific public holiday celebrating the founding of Canberra, and is not observed in any other Australian state or territory. It is the third Monday in March each year, consistent with the pattern used for other “Queen’s/King’s Birthday” holidays in various jurisdictions.