Public holidays
Public holidays can be different depending on the state or territory you work in.
Find recent and upcoming public holidays in your state or territory below.
On this page:
- Upcoming public holidays
- Public holiday entitlements
- Working outside your state or region on a public holiday
- Video: Public holidays
- Tools and resources
- Related information
Upcoming public holidays
Below are the public holidays over the next few months in each state and territory.
For a full list of public holidays in your state or territory this year, go to our 2025 public holidays page.
Australian Capital Territory
- Monday 6 October - Labour Day
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Boxing Day
New South Wales
- Monday 6 October - Labour Day
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Boxing Day
Northern Territory
- Monday 4 August - Picnic Day
- Wednesday 24 December - Christmas Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Wednesday 31 December - New Year's Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
Queensland
- Wednesday 13 August - Royal Queensland Show (Brisbane area only)
- Monday 6 October - King’s Birthday
- Wednesday 24 December - Christmas Eve (from 6 pm to midnight)
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Boxing Day
South Australia
- Monday 6 October - Labour Day
- Wednesday 24 December - Christmas Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Proclamation Day public holiday / Boxing Day
- Wednesday 31 December - New Year's Eve (from 7 pm to midnight)
Tasmania
- Monday 3 November - Recreation Day (areas of the state that don’t observe Royal Hobart Regatta)
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Boxing Day
Victoria
- Friday 26 September - Friday before the AFL Grand Final
- Tuesday 4 November - Melbourne Cup
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Boxing Day
Western Australia
- Monday 29 September - King's Birthday (some regional areas in WA hold the King's Birthday public holiday on a different date)
- Thursday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Friday 26 December - Boxing Day
Public holiday entitlements
It's important to know when public holidays fall each year because different pay and entitlements can apply on these days.
All employees have a right to be absent from work on a public holiday. Learn more at Not working on public holidays.
Calculating public holiday rates
Calculate pay and entitlements using our Pay and Conditions Tool.
Working a public holiday
Learn more about workplace entitlements for working a public holiday, including:
- extra pay (for example, public holiday rates)
- taking an extra day off
- minimum shift lengths.
Go to Public holiday penalty rates.
Not working a public holiday
Find out about entitlements and responsibilities for not working a public holiday, including:
- the right not to work on a public holiday
- pay
- leave (such as during a period of paid leave).
Go to Not working on public holidays.
Substituting a public holiday
A substitute public holiday is an ordinary day that is treated like a public holiday instead of the actual public holiday. For information about when a public holiday can be substituted, see:
- our Library article Substituting public holidays
- Public holiday penalty rates.
Working outside your state or region on a public holiday
An employee is entitled to the public holidays that fall where they are based for work, not where they are working on the day of the public holiday.
Example: Employee working outside their state on a day that is a public holiday
Cass is an employee of a business located in Melbourne. She has been sent to Sydney to perform work during November. During her interstate visit, the Melbourne Cup public holiday is observed in Melbourne. As Cass's job is based in Melbourne, she's entitled to her public holiday entitlements that day, even though there isn't a public holiday where she is physically working in Sydney.
Source reference: Fair Work Act 2009 s.114-116
Video: Public holidays
Watch our short video to learn about:
- working or not working on a public holiday
- when an employer can ask an employee to work a public holiday
- refusing an employer’s requests to a work a public holiday.
