NSW public holidays | NSW Government

NSW public holidays | NSW Government
NSW public holidays
Check the NSW public holidays for 2026 and 2027. Learn about worker entitlements on these days.
NSW public holidays 2026 to 2027
Holiday
2026
2027
New Year's Day
Thursday 1 January 2026
Friday 1 January 2027
3
Additional Day
Not applicable
Not applicable
2
Australia Day
Monday 26 January 2026
Tuesday 26 January 2027
Good Friday
Friday 3 April 2026
Friday 26 March 2027
Easter Saturday
Saturday 4 April 2026
Saturday 27 March 2027
Easter Sunday
Sunday 5 April 2026
Sunday 28 March 2027
Easter Monday
Monday 6 April 2026
Monday 29 March 2027
Anzac Day
Saturday 25 April 2026
Sunday 25 April 2027
Additional Day
Monday 27 April 2026
Monday 26 April 2027
King's Birthday
Monday 8 June 2026
Monday 14 June 2027
1
Bank Holiday
Monday 3 August 2026
Monday 2 August 2027
Labour Day
Monday 5 October 2026
Monday 4 October 2027
Christmas Day
Friday 25 December 2026
Saturday 25 December 2027
3
Additional Day
Not applicable
Monday 27 December 2027
Boxing Day
Saturday 26 December 2026
Sunday 26 December 2027
3
Additional Day
Monday 28 December 2026
Tuesday 28 December 2027
1
Retail bank branches and certain financial institutions are required to remain closed on the first Monday in August (Bank Holiday)
unless otherwise exempt
- see
Part 3A
of the
Retail Trading Act 2008
. ‘Bank Holiday’ is included in this list because it has implications for the staffing of these institutions. See the
Banks and Financial Institutions
page of the Fair Trading website. The
Bank Holiday is not a declared public holiday
.
2
The public holiday standard in the
Public Holidays Act 2010
provides that when Australia Day (26 January) falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there will be no public holiday on that day and instead the following Monday is to be the public holiday.
3
The public holiday standard in the Act provides that when New Year's Day, Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday there is to be an additional public holiday on the following Monday or Tuesday.
Public holidays in NSW legislation
Section 4
of the
Public Holidays Act 2010
(the Act) declares the standard public holidays that apply in NSW.
Section 5
of the Act provides for the declaration of additional public holidays including public holidays for a part of the State.
Section 8
of the Act provides for the declaration of a local event day in a local government area.
Note that the declaration of a local event day does not make the local event day a public holiday.
Download past and future public holiday dates
NSW Public Holidays 2021-2023 (PDF 127.46KB)
NSW Public Holidays 2024-2026 (PDF 247KB)
Additional public holiday information
NSW local public holidays or local event days
In addition to these standard public holidays for all of NSW, there are also some
Local Public Holidays
and
Local Event Days
declared in regional and rural NSW to recognise a significant annual event for the local community like an agricultural show or racing carnival.
These occasions may be declared by the Minister for Industrial Relations following an application made by a local council for a whole day or part of a day.
Local Public Holidays
Local Event Days
Retail shop and bank trading restrictions
Ask about trading restrictions and exemptions for banks and retail shops by calling Fair Trading NSW at
13 32 20
.
You can also see
Trading on public holidays page
on Fair Trading NSW website.
Workplace rights and responsibilities for national system employers and employees
Public holidays, including local public days, will affect workplace entitlements for national system employers and employees. Information is provided by the Fair Work Ombudsman on the
National Employment Standards for public holidays
and in the awards and agreements that apply to your workplace.
The
Public Holidays Act 2010
notes that the following provisions of the
Fair Work Act 2009
of the Commonwealth also apply to employees and employers in NSW.
Section 114, about the entitlement to be absent from employment on a public holiday, and
Section 116, about payment for absence on a public holiday.
For information and assistance, contact the
Fair Work Ombudsman
.
Essential guides
NSW Guide to Public Holidays
How you can prepare your business:
Get to know which public holidays may affect your business.
Ensure you have a leave calendar or a staff log of available staff.
Find out about the Industrial Relations implications and obligations for staff working on a Public Holiday, for example, loading or penalty.
Take time to understand what additional staffing needs may be required
Access the:
NSW Guide to Public Holidays
and
NSW Industrial Relations public holiday presentation
.
Employer and employee essentials
To find information on public holiday entitlements, employers and employees should check their industrial instrument, for example, award, agreement, or employment contract. They should also refer to the
National Employment Standards
in the
Fair Work Act 2009
.
iCalendar Downloads
Download or print your new iCalendar, so you never miss an important Public Holiday. Making it easy to be organised.
Ready to download the iCal for NSW Public Holidays 2025?
Read more
Find out what events are happening in NSW
Find events, workshops, exhibitions and performances taking place in NSW to make the most of your public holidays.
See all
options in NSW events
Public Holiday FAQs
1. What are the public holidays in NSW?
Holidays for NSW are gazetted under the
Public Holidays Act 2010
. They are statewide or regional public holidays and apply to all businesses across NSW.
The standard public holidays across NSW include:
New Year’s Day
Australia Day
Good Friday
Easter Saturday
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
Anzac Day
King’s Birthday
Labour Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day.
2. What is a local or regional public holiday?
Local public holidays may also be declared in regional and rural NSW. They are holidays that commemorate a day of special significance to a specific local community. These are in addition to the standard public holidays that apply to the whole of NSW.
Note: A local public holiday is a declared public holiday for that area for work purposes. Additional penalty payments may apply. Refer to your applicable industrial instrument for details.
3. What is a Local Event Day?
There are a small number of Local Event Days that can be for a whole day or part of a day. These are in addition to standard public holidays that apply to the whole of NSW. They might be for an event like an agricultural show or racing carnival.
Importantly, Local Event Days are not a declared public holiday for work purposes.
4. What is an Additional Day?
Every few years, New Year's Day, Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday. When this happens, there will be an additional gazetted public holiday on the following available weekday.
5. Is a Bank Holiday a declared public holiday?
No, it is not a declared public holiday for all of NSW. Only retail bank branches and certain financial institutions are required to remain closed on the first Monday in August, unless otherwise exempt.
For more information refer to the
NSW Fair Trading website
.
6. When is Anzac Day public holiday observed?
The Anzac Day holiday is always recognised and observed on the 25 April every year. This includes when it falls on a weekend.
7. What about the Australia Day public holiday?
Where Australia Day falls on a weekend, there is no public holiday on that day. Instead, the following Monday is the public holiday.
8. Do I get extra pay to work on a public holiday?
In most cases an employee that works on a gazetted public holiday is entitled to extra payment. This is usually in the form of an additional penalty or loading.
Detailed information on public holiday entitlements is in your workplace industrial instrument. This could be an award, agreement or employment contract that covers your workplace.
For information on pay and conditions of employment in the national system visit the
Fair Work Ombudsman website
.
If you work in the NSW Local Government industry, visit our
Local Government Industry page
. You can also call us on
131 628
for help with public holidays.
9. Do employees get paid for a public holiday that they do not work?
In most cases where an employee is off work on a public holiday, and that day is their regular working day, the employee would still be entitled for payment for the absence on a public holiday.
The
Public Holidays Act 2010
also notes that the following provisions of the
Fair Work Act 2009
also apply to employees and employers in NSW:
Section 114, about the entitlement to be absent on a public holiday, and
Section 116, about payment for absence on a public holiday.
Please refer to the relevant industrial laws and instruments including the specific Award or Agreement that covers your workplace for detailed information on public holiday entitlements.
For information on pay and conditions of employment in the national system, visit the
Fair Work Ombudsman website
.
10. What if a public holiday occurs while I am on Long Service Leave?
You may have a situation where you are on
Long Service Leave
when a gazetted public holiday occurs. If this is a normal working day for an employee, an extra day must be added to the Long Service Leave period.
11. Where to get more information on NSW public holidays?
For information on pay and conditions of employment in the national system, visit the
Fair Work Ombudsman website
.
For information on pay and conditions of employment in the national system, please visit the
Fair Work Ombudsman website
.
For any NSW business trading hours information on public holidays (including Bank Holiday information) visit the
NSW Fair Trading website
.
Related information
NSW school holidays
Australian public holidays
Double demerit points
Daylight saving
Taking leave from work in NSW
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