Australia mixes seven national holidays with state-specific days — Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria, Labour Day on four different dates, and regional show days that close a single city.

How people take the days

Substitution is standard: when a holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday is given instead, so long weekends are guaranteed. The stretch from Christmas to Australia Day on 26 January is the country's genuine slow season.

If you're visiting

Most retail trades on public holidays with penalty-rate surcharges in cafés. Good Friday, Christmas Day and the morning of Anzac Day are the real closures — pubs and shops stay shut until 1pm on 25 April.

If you live here

Entitlement is four weeks of annual leave plus public holidays under the National Employment Standards. Which holidays you get depends on your state, and the difference can be four days a year.

Nearby countries

Neighbours of Australia — see their holidays, or compare the two calendars side by side.

What these days actually mean

Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.

Melbourne Cup

3 Nov 2026

Regional

Observance: A public holiday in metropolitan Melbourne only, for a horse race that stops the nation for three minutes on the first Tuesday of November. The rest of Australia works through it.
Business: Closed across Melbourne; normal trading elsewhere in Australia.
Transport: Extra trains to Flemington; heavy afternoon crowding on the Melbourne network.

Written for this country

Christmas Day

25 Dec 2026

Public

Observance: The central Christian winter feast; in most countries the household gathering matters more than the church service.
Business: Near-total closure of retail, offices and banks. Expect the preceding afternoon to shut early too.
Transport: Skeleton or suspended services in many countries. Book intercity travel well ahead.

St. Stephen's Day

28 Dec 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.