The ACT lists 13 public holidays for 2026, starting with New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January and ending with an extra Boxing Day holiday on Monday 28 December. Two are unique to Canberra: Canberra Day on Monday 9 March 2026 and Reconciliation Day on Monday 1 June 2026.
The ACT Government publishes its holidays three years ahead, which makes planning easier than in most states. Here are the dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028 as they read in October 2026, followed by what's different about the ACT.
ACT holidays for the next three years
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January | Friday 1 January | Saturday 1 and Monday 3 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January | Tuesday 26 January | Wednesday 26 January |
| Canberra Day | Monday 9 March | Monday 8 March | Monday 13 March |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April | Friday 26 March | Friday 14 April |
| Easter Saturday | Saturday 4 April | Saturday 27 March | Saturday 15 April |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday 5 April | Sunday 28 March | Sunday 16 April |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April | Monday 29 March | Monday 17 April |
| ANZAC Day | Saturday 25 and Monday 27 April | Sunday 25 and Monday 26 April | Tuesday 25 April |
| Reconciliation Day | Monday 1 June | Monday 31 May | Monday 29 May |
| King's Birthday | Monday 8 June | Monday 14 June | Monday 12 June |
| Labour Day | Monday 5 October | Monday 4 October | Monday 2 October |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Saturday 25 and Monday 27 December | Monday 25 December |
| Boxing Day | Saturday 26 and Monday 28 December | Sunday 26 and Tuesday 28 December | Tuesday 26 December |
Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day
These are the two dates a national calendar won't show. Canberra Day falls in March, on the same Monday that's Adelaide Cup Day in South Australia and Eight Hours Day in Tasmania in 2026. Reconciliation Day sits at the end of May or start of June: Monday 1 June in 2026, then Monday 31 May in 2027. If your payroll runs off a national template, add both by hand.
ANZAC Day gets a Monday in the ACT
Here's the insight that trips up businesses with staff in more than one state. When ANZAC Day falls on a weekend, the ACT adds a weekday holiday: Monday 27 April 2026 and Monday 26 April 2027. Not every state does that.
| Jurisdiction | ANZAC Day on a weekend | Monday 27 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| ACT | Additional weekday holiday | Public holiday |
| New South Wales | Additional day listed in the 2026 table | Public holiday |
| South Australia | No substitute or additional day | Normal workday |
| Tasmania | No substitute or additional day | Normal workday |
The August bank holiday isn't for everyone
The ACT's Holidays Act 1958 includes bank holidays, and there's one on the first Monday in August. The ACT Government is careful to say bank holidays don't apply to everyone. Whether your staff get the day off or extra pay depends on their enterprise agreement or award, so check before you close.
Christmas and New Year on weekends
- Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, so Monday 28 December is also a public holiday.
- In 2027, Christmas Day is a Saturday and Boxing Day a Sunday, so the holidays are Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December.
- New Year's Day 2028 is a Saturday, so Monday 3 January 2028 is a public holiday too.
- Easter Saturday is listed as "the day after Good Friday" and is a public holiday in every year shown.
Long weekends in 2026
Read as a calendar, 2026 gives Canberra a long weekend for Australia Day (Monday 26 January), Canberra Day (Monday 9 March), ANZAC Day (Monday 27 April), Reconciliation Day (Monday 1 June), the King's Birthday a week later (Monday 8 June) and Labour Day (Monday 5 October), plus a four-day Easter from Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April. That's two Monday holidays in a row in early June, which is worth knowing if you run a shop or service business and need to plan cover. Christmas runs from Friday 25 December to the additional Boxing Day holiday on Monday 28 December.
Planning for an ACT business
- Load all three years into your rostering system now, since the dates are already published.
- Add Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day manually if you use a national payroll calendar.
- Treat Monday 27 April 2026 as a public holiday for ACT staff even if colleagues in SA or Tasmania are working.
- Read each award before deciding how to treat the August bank holiday.
For other ACT employer obligations, see my guides to long service leave in the ACT and payroll tax in the ACT. If you're working out leave balances around these dates, annual leave in Australia covers the national rules.
My verdict
The ACT is one of the more generous jurisdictions for weekend holidays, and it publishes far enough ahead that there's no excuse for surprises. Add the two Canberra-only days, keep the ANZAC Monday, and treat the August bank holiday as an award question rather than a day off.
Frequently asked questions
When is Canberra Day in 2026?
Canberra Day is Monday 9 March 2026, then Monday 8 March 2027 and Monday 13 March 2028.
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When is Reconciliation Day in the ACT?
Reconciliation Day is Monday 1 June 2026, Monday 31 May 2027 and Monday 29 May 2028.
Is Monday 27 April 2026 a public holiday in the ACT?
Yes. ANZAC Day falls on Saturday 25 April 2026, and the ACT lists Monday 27 April as a public holiday too.
Is the August bank holiday a public holiday in the ACT?
There's a bank holiday on the first Monday in August under the Holidays Act 1958, but the ACT Government says bank holidays don't apply to everyone. Check your award or enterprise agreement.
Is Easter Saturday a public holiday in Canberra?
Yes. The ACT lists Easter Saturday, the day after Good Friday, as a public holiday.
How many public holidays does the ACT have in 2026?
The ACT Government lists 13 holidays for 2026, with ANZAC Day and Boxing Day each adding a Monday.
Is the ACT the same as NSW for public holidays?
Not quite. Both list Easter Saturday and a Monday after a weekend ANZAC Day in 2026, but the ACT also has Canberra Day and Reconciliation Day, which aren't on the NSW list.
When is Labour Day in the ACT?
Labour Day is Monday 5 October 2026, Monday 4 October 2027 and Monday 2 October 2028.
