📍 QLD · PH · 2026 Calendar

QLD Public Holidays 2026.

12 gazetted public holidays in Queensland for 2026, plus 13 confirmed for 2027. Full calendar below, penalty-rate calculator at the bottom.

QLD 2026 Calendar

QLD public holidays for 2026.

Queensland has 13 public holidays in 2026 (including a substitute Monday for Boxing Day) plus a part-day Christmas Eve holiday from 6pm to midnight. Royal Queensland Show day is a regional Brisbane-only holiday. 12 full-day public holidays plus 1 part-day holiday. Source: Queensland Government - Public holidays.

HolidayDayDateScope
New Year's Day
Thursday1 JanuaryNational
Australia Day
Monday26 JanuaryNational
Good Friday
Friday3 AprilNational
Day after Good Friday
Saturday4 AprilNational
Easter Sunday
Sunday5 AprilNational
Easter Monday
Monday6 AprilNational
Anzac Day
Saturday25 AprilNational
Labour Day
First Monday in May
Monday4 MayState
King's Birthday
First Monday in October in QLD
Monday5 OctoberState
Christmas Eve (part-day)
6pm to midnight only
Thursday24 DecemberPart-day
Christmas Day
Friday25 DecemberNational
Boxing Day
Saturday26 DecemberNational
Boxing Day substitute
Additional holiday because Boxing Day fell on a Saturday
Monday28 DecemberState
QLD 2027 Calendar

QLD public holidays for 2027.

Confirmed dates from Holidays Act 1983 (Qld). Some 2027 dates may be subject to government proclamation.

HolidayDayDateScope
New Year's Day
Friday1 JanuaryNational
Australia Day
Tuesday26 JanuaryNational
Good Friday
Friday26 MarchNational
Day after Good Friday
Saturday27 MarchNational
Easter Sunday
Sunday28 MarchNational
Easter Monday
Monday29 MarchNational
Anzac Day (observed)
Monday26 AprilNational
Labour Day
Monday3 MayState
King's Birthday
Monday4 OctoberState
Christmas Eve (part-day)
6pm to midnight only
Friday24 DecemberPart-day
Christmas Day
Saturday25 DecemberNational
Christmas Day substitute
Monday27 DecemberNational
Boxing Day
Sunday26 DecemberNational
Boxing Day substitute
Tuesday28 DecemberNational

Statute: Holidays Act 1983 (Qld). All dates verified against the QLD government source linked above. Dates may change due to government proclamation. Local-government and regional show-day holidays not listed.

See all Australian public holidays for 2027, or find the long weekends in QLD and across Australia.

Queensland show holidays: 98 of them, and none are statewide

The calendar above lists the statewide Queensland holidays. On top of those, Queensland appoints show holidays by district, and it appoints more of them than every other state combined: 98 separate district show holidays in 2026 alone. None of them is statewide, and the district is not the same thing as the council area. The Queensland show holidays directory lists every one with its appointed date.

The best known is the Royal Queensland Show, the Ekka. The usual summary of it, "Brisbane only", is wrong: the City of Brisbane takes it on the Wednesday, and 15 further districts including Logan City, the City of Moreton Bay and the City of Redland are appointed the same show and take it on the Monday. Districts that hold their own show take that instead, on their own date: see Toowoomba, Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns and Bundaberg.

Because the entitlement follows the place you are based for work rather than where you live, a Gold Coast resident working in Brisbane gets the Wednesday and a Brisbane resident working on a Sunshine Coast site does not. Full dates, scope and pay rules are on the Ekka public holiday page. For what a worked public holiday is worth under a Queensland award, see Queensland long service leave and the public holiday pay calculator.

Penalty Rate Calculator

Working a QLD public holiday?

Calculate penalty rates for a public holiday shift. Pre-configured for Queensland.

✓ Free, no sign-up|Live|Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.114

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QueenslandQLDChange state →
Standard FT week is 38 hours.
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Here's your entitlement

13
Public holidays in QLD for 2026.
8
Weekday holidays
5 × Monday
Most common day
$266
Pay per day off
See full calculationFair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.114
ComponentFormulaValue
New Year's DayThursday1 January
Australia DayMonday26 January
Good FridayFriday3 April
Day after Good FridaySaturday4 April
Easter SundaySunday5 April
Easter MondayMonday6 April
Anzac DaySaturday25 April
Labour DayMonday4 May
King's BirthdayMonday5 October
Christmas Eve (part-day)Thursday24 December
Christmas DayFriday25 December
Boxing DaySaturday26 December
Boxing Day substituteMonday28 December

ⓘ 2026 calendar for Queensland. Source: state public holiday legislation. Dates verified against state government and Fair Work Ombudsman.

Sarah Reid, CAHRI
Reviewed bySarah Reid, CAHRICert IV Payroll · Brisbane based
Verified expert

Disclaimer: This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice. Results may be inaccurate due to changes in legislation or your circumstances. This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice. We do not recommend taking actions based solely on these results. The calculator makes assumptions and results may be inaccurate due to changes in legislation, modern awards, or your personal circumstances. You use this information at your own risk. We can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong. For official guidance, visit Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au). Fair Work Ombudsman.

Q & A

Public holiday questions for QLD.

How much long service leave do I get in QLD?
8.67 weeks after 10 years of continuous service with the same employer, under the Industrial Relations Act 2016 (QLD). Pro-rata payout becomes available after 7 years on termination. Calculate your QLD LSL →
When does QLD long service leave become payable on termination?
Reaching 7 years of continuous service is necessary but not sufficient in QLD. Under the Industrial Relations Act 2016 a pro-rata payment before the full 10-year entitlement also requires a qualifying reason: illness, incapacity, a domestic or other pressing necessity, reaching retirement age, death, or termination by the employer for something other than serious misconduct. A plain resignation to take another job can pay nothing. Once you reach 10 years the entitlement is payable however you leave.
What's the QLD pro-rata LSL formula?
QLD grants 8.67 weeks at the 10-year trigger, which works out to ~0.867 weeks per year of service. After 7 years on termination you'd be entitled to roughly 6.07 weeks pro-rata.
How many public holidays are there in Australia?
7 days are nationally recognised: New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Every state and territory gazettes additional days, taking the total per state from 9 (TAS) to 15 (ACT) in 2026.
Do I get penalty rates for working a public holiday?
Almost always yes, the rate depends on your award. Most awards pay 200%-250% (i.e. 2-2.5x base rate) for hours worked on a gazetted public holiday. A small number absorb public-holiday work in an annualised salary instead. Calculate your public holiday pay →
Can I refuse to work on a public holiday?
Yes, under s.114 of the Fair Work Act. You can refuse a request to work a public holiday if the request is unreasonable or your refusal is reasonable. Factors include the work's nature, your personal circumstances, the type of employment and notice given.
What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend?
Most states gazette a substitute weekday (usually the following Monday). The substitute IS the public holiday for legal purposes, penalty rates apply on the substitute, not the calendar date. Some states gazette both days for Anzac Day and Boxing Day.