Queensland show holidays 2026
Queensland appointed 98 district show holidays for 2026, more than every other state and territory combined. Not one of them is statewide, and the district is not always the same thing as your council area. Here is every appointed date, with the district wording that decides who is covered.
The single most common mistake: assuming the Ekka is Brisbane only. The City of Brisbane takes it on Wednesday 12 August 2026, and 15 further districts are appointed the same show and take it on Monday 10 August 2026. Districts with their own show, such as Ipswich and Toowoomba, get neither.
The districts with the most questions
These six districts have enough going on to need their own page: split council areas, postcode boundaries, or several shows in one region.
- Toowoomba Royal Agricultural Show, 2 separate appointed days across the region
- Ipswich Annual Show, Friday, 15 May 2026, City of Ipswich only
- Bundaberg Annual Show, 2 separate appointed days across the region
- Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show, 3 separate appointed days across the region
- Townsville Annual Show, Monday, 6 July 2026, City of Townsville only
- Cairns Annual Show, Friday, 17 July 2026, Cairns region, part of Mareeba Shire and eight Cape York shires
- Royal Queensland Show, the Ekka, Wednesday 12 August 2026 in Brisbane and Monday 10 August in 15 other districts
Who gets the Royal Queensland Show holiday
Districts that hold no agricultural show of their own are appointed the Royal Queensland Show as their show holiday. They take it on the Monday, not the Wednesday that Brisbane takes. Between them these districts cover well over a million Queenslanders who are routinely told they work a normal day.
| District | 2026 date |
|---|---|
Bundaberg region: within the postcode of 4671 | Monday 10 August |
City of Moreton Bay | Monday 10 August |
City of Redland | Monday 10 August |
Gladstone region | Monday 10 August |
Gympie region: Goomeri township and the parish of Goomeribong | Monday 10 August |
Lockyer Valley region | Monday 10 August |
Logan City | Monday 10 August |
North Burnett region: Biggenden, Eidsvold, Gayndah, Mount Perry and Monto areas | Monday 10 August |
Scenic Rim region | Monday 10 August |
Shire of Balonne | Monday 10 August |
Shire of Cherbourg | Monday 10 August |
Somerset region | Monday 10 August |
South Burnett region | Monday 10 August |
Toowoomba region: that part of the Toowoomba Regional Council area comprising Yarraman, Upper Yarraman and Cooyar areas | Monday 10 August |
Western Downs region: Tara and District | Monday 10 August |
City of Brisbane | Wednesday 12 August |
Every appointed show holiday for 2026
Grouped by date. The district wording is the Queensland Government's own, because it is the wording that draws the boundary: several districts are defined by postcode or by pre-amalgamation council areas that no longer appear on a current map. Where we have a page for a district, its show name links to it.
| Date | Show | District |
|---|---|---|
Friday 30 January Already passed | Stanthorpe Annual Show | Southern Downs region: the area of the former Stanthorpe Shire and the area of the village of Dalveen |
Friday 6 February Already passed | Allora Annual Show | Southern Downs region: the area of the former Warwick Shire: Division 1 |
Friday 20 February Already passed | Killarney Annual Show | Southern Downs region: the area of the former Warwick Shire: Division 3 (excluding the urban area of Warwick City and the locality of Murray's Bridge) |
Friday 13 March Already passed | Inglewood Annual Show | Goondiwindi region: that area covered by the former Shire of Inglewood excluding that part of the former shire within the boundaries of the parishes of Wyemo, Beebo, Texas, Silverspur, Arcot, Gunyan, Bonshaw, Maiden Head, Aitkin's Flat and the town of Texas |
| Miles and District Show | Western Downs region: Miles and District | |
Friday 20 March Already passed | Warwick Annual Show | Southern Downs region: the area of the former Warwick Shire: Divisions 2, 5 and 6, Division 3 (being the urban area of Warwick City and the locality of Murray's Bridge), and Division 4 (excluding the village of Dalveen) |
Friday 27 March Already passed | Toowoomba Royal Agricultural Show | Toowoomba region: Toowoomba Regional Council area excluding Yarraman, Upper Yarraman and Cooyar areas |
Friday 10 April Already passed | Dalby and District Annual Show | Western Downs region: Dalby and District |
Friday 17 April Already passed | Wandoan Annual Show | Western Downs region: Wandoan and District |
Friday 1 May Already passed | Goondiwindi Annual Show | Goondiwindi region: for that area covered by the former Goondiwindi Town Council Area and the former Waggamba Shire |
Tuesday 5 May Already passed | Taroom Annual Show | Shire of Banana: that part of the shire formerly known as Division 1 of Taroom Shire (includes township of Taroom) |
Friday 8 May Already passed | Mundubbera Annual Show | North Burnett region: Mundubbera area |
| Roma Agricultural Show | Maranoa region: from the eastern boundary of the Council area including the towns of Jackson, Yuleba, Wallumbilla, Roma, Hodgson and Muckadilla. North of Roma to the northern boundary of the Council area including the town of Injune and the area known as Bymount and south of Roma to the southern boundary of the Council area including the township of Surat and the area east and south of Surat Township | |
Tuesday 12 May Already passed | Mitchell Agricultural Show | Maranoa region: west of Amby to the western boundary of the Council area including the towns of Mitchell and Mungallala. South of Amby to the southern boundary of the Council area including the area known as Dunkeld and north of Amby to the northern boundary of the Council area |
| Theodore Annual Show | Shire of Banana: that part of the Shire covered by the parishes of Mayne, Quakit, Gibber Gunyah, Martin, Highworth, Southend, Coteeda, Blackman, Cracow, Dresden, Mungungal, Camboon, Okangal, Walloon, Woolton, Woolthorpe, Warnoah, Belmont, Colombo, Tarramba, Barfield, Rhydding, Roundstone, Capayan, and that part of the parish of Banana described as L110/FN261, L109/FN261, L48/FN283, L53/FN423, L1 and 2/RP892597, L1/RP612740, L1-6/RP613366, L2/RP612740, L127/FN470, and Pt L13/FN469 (includes townships of Theodore and Cracow) | |
Friday 15 May Already passed | Callide Valley Agricultural and Pastoral Show | Shire of Banana: that part of the shire covering the parishes of Annandale, Craiglands, Dumgree, Earlsfield, Greycliffe, Spier, Thalberg, Callide, Prairie, Coreen, Kooingal, Scoria, Kroombit, Clifford, Kariboe, Grevillea, Prospect, Tiamby, Moura and Kianga (includes the townships/areas of Biloela, Jambin, Goovigen, Thangool, Banana, Moura, Prospect Creek and Mt Murchison) |
| Charleville and District Annual Show | Shire of Murweh | |
| Gympie Annual Show | Gympie region excluding Goomeri Township and Parish of Goomeribong | |
| Ipswich Annual Show | City of Ipswich | |
Wednesday 20 May Already passed | Alpha Annual Show | Barcaldine region: Alpha township |
Friday 22 May Already passed | Capella and District Agricultural Show | Central Highlands region: Capella and Tieri |
| Chinchilla Annual Show | Western Downs region: Chinchilla and District | |
| Fraser Coast Agricultural Show | Fraser Coast region | |
| Longreach Agricultural Show | Longreach region: Longreach, and Ilfracombe | |
| Longreach Agricultural Show | Shire of Barcoo | |
| Shindig Festival | Shire of Bulloo | |
Wednesday 27 May Already passed | Clermont Show Day | Isaac region: Moranbah, Clermont, Middlemount, Dysart, Kilcummin and rural areas |
Thursday 28 May Already passed | Bundaberg Annual Show | Bundaberg region: within the post codes of 4660, 4670 and 4673 |
Friday 29 May Already passed | Hughenden Show | Shire of Flinders: Hughenden, Stamford, Prairie and Torrens Creek |
| Maleny Annual Show | Sunshine Coast region: the area of the former Caloundra City Council | |
| Springsure and District Agricultural Show | Central Highlands region: townships of Springsure, Rolleston and Bauhinia | |
Wednesday 3 June Already passed | Emerald and District Agricultural Show | Central Highlands region: townships of Emerald, Comet, Gemfields, Blackwater, Bluff, Dingo and Duaringa |
Friday 5 June Already passed | Normanton Show Day | Shire of Carpentaria |
Monday 8 June Already passed | Weipa Fishing Classic | Weipa town area |
Thursday 11 June Already passed | Rockhampton Agricultural Show | Isaac region: St Lawrence, south of Clairview and rural areas |
| Rockhampton Agricultural Show | Rockhampton region | |
Friday 12 June Already passed | Cloncurry and District Annual Show | Shire of Cloncurry |
| Richmond Annual Field Day | Shire of Richmond | |
| Rockhampton Agricultural Show | Shire of Banana: that part of the shire covering the parishes of Thuriba, Olinda, Rannes, Benleith, Granville, Woolein, Fairview, Cottenham, Wright, Perch, Neimen and the parish of Banana excluding L110/FN261, L109/FN261, L48/FN283, L53/FN423, L1 and 2/RP892597, L1/RP612740, L1-6/RP613366, L2/RP612740, L127/FN470 and Pt L13/FN469. (Includes the township of Baralaba) | |
| Rockhampton Agricultural Show | Shire of Banana: that part of the shire covering the parishes of Westwood, Fleetwood, Moongan, Dundee, Bunerba, Ulogie, Manton, Don and Bundalba (includes townships of Wowan and Dululu) | |
| Rockhampton Agricultural Show | Shire of Livingstone | |
| Rockhampton Agricultural Show | Shire of Woorabinda | |
| Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show | Sunshine Coast region: the area of the former Maroochy Shire | |
Thursday 18 June Already passed | Mackay Agricultural Show | Isaac region: Nebo, Glenden, Coppabella, coastal region, Clairview and Clairview North |
| Mackay Agricultural Show | Mackay region | |
Friday 19 June Already passed | Mount Isa Agricultural Show | City of Mount Isa |
| Mount Isa Agricultural Show | Shire of Mornington | |
| Whitsunday Show | Whitsunday region: Proserpine, Airlie Beach and Cannonvale districts | |
Tuesday 23 June Already passed | Bowen Annual Show | Whitsunday region: Bowen district including the localities of Bowen, Guthalungra, Gumlu, and Bogie (excluding the area south of the Bogie River from its confluence with the Burdekin River to its source and then easterly by the Clark Range to the eastern boundary of the Council area) |
Wednesday 24 June Already passed | Burdekin Annual Show | Shire of Burdekin |
Friday 26 June Already passed | Ingham Annual Show | Shire of Hinchinbrook |
| Laura Rodeo, Campdraft and Races Weekend | Shire of Cook | |
Tuesday 30 June Already passed | Atherton Annual Show | Mareeba Shire: that part of the Mareeba Shire included within the parishes of Irvinebank, Myosotis and Western |
| Atherton Annual Show | Tablelands region | |
Monday 6 July Already passed | Townsville Annual Show | City of Townsville |
Friday 10 July Already passed | Innisfail and District Annual Show | Cassowary Coast region: Divisions 4, 5 and 6 and those parts of Divisions 2 and 3 generally north of the Walter Hill Range |
Friday 17 July Already passed | Cairns Annual Show | Cairns region |
| Cairns Annual Show | Mareeba Shire excluding the parishes of Irvinebank, Myosotis, Western, Mowbray, Salisbury, Riflemead and that part of the parish of Garioch located north of Hunter and Rifle Creeks | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Aurukun | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Hope Vale | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Kowanyama | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Mapoon | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Napranum | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Pormpuraaw | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Wujal Wujal | |
| Cairns Annual Show | Shire of Yarrabah | |
Monday 20 July Already passed | Mossman Annual Show | Mareeba Shire: that part of Mareeba Shire included within the parishes of Mowbray, Salisbury, Riflemead and that part of the parish of Garioch located north of Hunter and Rifle Creeks |
| Mossman Annual Show | Shire of Douglas | |
Friday 24 July Already passed | Tully and District Annual Show | Cassowary Coast region: Division 1 and those parts of Divisions 2 and 3 generally south of the Walter Hill Range |
Tuesday 28 July Already passed | Charters Towers Annual Show | Charters Towers region |
Friday 31 July Already passed | Etheridge Shire Show | Shire of Etheridge |
Monday 10 August | Royal Queensland Show | Bundaberg region: within the postcode of 4671 |
| Royal Queensland Show | City of Moreton Bay | |
| Royal Queensland Show | City of Redland | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Gladstone region | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Gympie region: Goomeri township and the parish of Goomeribong | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Lockyer Valley region | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Logan City | |
| Royal Queensland Show | North Burnett region: Biggenden, Eidsvold, Gayndah, Mount Perry and Monto areas | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Scenic Rim region | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Shire of Balonne | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Shire of Cherbourg | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Somerset region | |
| Royal Queensland Show | South Burnett region | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Toowoomba region: that part of the Toowoomba Regional Council area comprising Yarraman, Upper Yarraman and Cooyar areas | |
| Royal Queensland Show | Western Downs region: Tara and District | |
| Texas Show Holiday | Goondiwindi region: for that area covered by the former Shire of Inglewood within the boundaries of the parishes of Wyemo, Beebo, Texas, Silverspur, Arcot, Gunyan, Bonshaw, Maiden Head, Aitkin's Flat and the town of Texas | |
Wednesday 12 August | Royal Queensland Show | City of Brisbane |
Friday 14 August | Cunnamulla and District Show | Shire of Paroo |
Friday 28 August | Gold Coast Show | City of Gold Coast |
Wednesday 9 September | Westech Field Day | Barcaldine region: Barcaldine, Aramac and Jericho townships |
| Westech Field Day | Longreach region: Isisford and Yaraka | |
Friday 11 September | Annual Quilpie and District Show | Shire of Quilpie |
| Noosa Show | Shire of Noosa | |
Friday 18 September | Torres Shire Council Show | Shire of Torres |
| Torres Strait Islands Show Day | Torres Strait Island region (whole region except Cairns) | |
Friday 25 September | Annual NPA Show Day | Northern Peninsula Area Region |
Tuesday 3 November | Collinsville Annual Show | Whitsunday region: Collinsville district including area south of Bogie River from its confluence with the Burdekin River to its source and then easterly by the Clark Range to the eastern boundary of the Council area |
Every date and district above is transcribed from Queensland Government, Show holiday dates, checked 7 August 2026. Separator punctuation in the district wording is normalised to house style; the wording itself is unchanged, because the wording is what draws the legal boundary.
What a show holiday is worth
A show holiday is a full public holiday, not a local observance. If you do not work it and it is a day you would ordinarily work, you are paid your base rate for the ordinary hours you would have worked. That sits in the National Employment Standards, so it applies whether or not an award covers you.
Fair Work Act 2009, section 116: an employer must pay an employee at the employee's base rate of pay for the ordinary hours the employee would have worked had the day not been a public holiday. Section 114 gives the right to be absent, subject to a reasonable request to work.
If you do work it, the penalty rate comes from your award or enterprise agreement rather than the NES, and commonly runs between 200% and 250% of base in customer-facing awards. Work out a specific day with the public holiday pay calculator, or check your own award on the modern award pay pages.
Related
For the statewide Queensland dates, see public holidays in Queensland, or start from the Queensland leave calculator for annual leave, long service leave and final pay under Queensland rules. A public holiday inside booked annual leave does not consume your balance: check the effect on the annual leave calculator. For the rest of the country, see the public holidays hub, long weekends and public holidays 2027.
Queensland show holiday questions.
The scope and pay questions that come up most on these days.
How many show holidays does Queensland have?
Queensland appointed 98 district show holidays for 2026, more than every other Australian state and territory combined. None of them is statewide. Each is appointed to a named district, and the district is not always the same thing as the local government area.
Is the Ekka a public holiday for all of Queensland?
No, and it is not Brisbane only either. The City of Brisbane takes the Royal Queensland Show holiday on Wednesday 12 August 2026. A further 15 districts, including Logan City, the City of Moreton Bay and the City of Redland, are appointed the same show as their show holiday and take it on Monday 10 August 2026. Districts that hold their own show take that day instead and get no Ekka holiday at all.
How do I know which show holiday applies to me?
Find the district your workplace sits in, not your home address. Under section 89 of the Fair Work Act the entitlement follows the place where you are based for work purposes. Several districts are defined by postcode or by pre-amalgamation council boundaries rather than by the current council area, so check the district wording in the table rather than assuming.
Do I get paid for a show holiday I do not work?
Yes, if it is a day you would ordinarily work. Section 116 of the Fair Work Act 2009 requires payment at your base rate of pay for the ordinary hours you would have worked. A show holiday is a full public holiday, not a half day or a local observance. Casual employees are not paid for a public holiday they do not work, because they have no ordinary hours.
Are Queensland show holiday dates set for 2027 yet?
No. Queensland appoints show holidays one year at a time, and qld.gov.au publishes 2026 and earlier only. Weekday patterns are fairly stable, but the dates move: the Toowoomba show holiday has fallen anywhere between 25 March and 19 April over the last five years. Treat any 2027 Queensland show holiday date published elsewhere as an estimate.
Can a show holiday fall during my annual leave?
It can, and you do not lose it. Section 89 of the Fair Work Act says that if a public holiday falls inside a period of paid annual leave, you are taken not to be on annual leave that day. It is paid as a public holiday and not deducted from your leave balance.