Queensland has 12 full-day public holidays in 2026. Brisbane and Queensland uniquely close for the Ekka, the Royal Queensland Show holiday held every August. The single best-value leave hack is The New Year Kick-Off: book 1 day of annual leave across Thu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan to turn it into 4 consecutive days off, a 4.0× return.
🇦🇺 Queensland · 2026 public holidays loaded
Queensland public holidays 2026 and the smartest annual leave hacks to stretch them.
Step 1: Where do you work?
Step 2: Which years?
Step 3: How many leave days have you got?
Leave you spend Free days off (★ = public holiday)
Your 2026 Queensland hacks
16 leave days → 42 days off
HACK #1
The New Year Kick-Off
Thu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan 2026
4.0× return
1Thu
2Fri
3Sat
4Sun
Spend 1 leave days → get 4 days off
HACK #2
The Christmas Mega-Stretch
Fri 25 Dec to Sun 3 Jan 2026
3.3× return
25Fri
26Sat
27Sun
28Mon
29Tue
30Wed
31Thu
1Fri
2Sat
3Sun
Spend 3 leave days → get 10 days off
HACK #3
The Easter Double-Dip
Sat 28 Mar to Mon 6 Apr 2026
2.5× return
28Sat
29Sun
30Mon
31Tue
1Wed
2Thu
3Fri
4Sat
5Sun
6Mon
Spend 4 leave days → get 10 days off
HACK #4
The Australia Day Getaway
Sat 24 Jan to Sun 1 Feb 2026
2.3× return
24Sat
25Sun
26Mon
27Tue
28Wed
29Thu
30Fri
31Sat
1Sun
Spend 4 leave days → get 9 days off
HACK #5
The Labour Day Long Weekend
Sat 2 May to Sun 10 May 2026
2.3× return
2Sat
3Sun
4Mon
5Tue
6Wed
7Thu
8Fri
9Sat
10Sun
Spend 4 leave days → get 9 days off
Your year at a glance
no calendar app needed
Leave you spend Free day off (★ = public holiday) Workday
January 2026
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Public holidays in Queensland in 2026
Every public holiday gazetted in Queensland for 2026, from Brisbane, is listed below, including the Ekka (Royal Queensland Show). Full-day, state-wide holidays are the ones the planner above stacks your leave around; part-day and regional-only holidays are marked and are not counted as full days off.
Dates verified against the Queensland government gazette. Last checked July 2026.
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January 2026 | New Year's Day |
| Monday 26 January 2026 | Australia Day |
| Friday 3 April 2026 | Good Friday |
| Saturday 4 April 2026 | Easter Saturday |
| Sunday 5 April 2026 | Easter Sunday |
| Monday 6 April 2026 | Easter Monday |
| Saturday 25 April 2026 | Anzac Day |
| Monday 4 May 2026 | Labour Day |
| Wednesday 12 August 2026 | Royal Queensland Show (Ekka)Brisbane |
| Monday 5 October 2026 | King's Birthday |
| Thursday 24 December 2026 | Christmas Eve (part-day)part-day |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day |
| Saturday 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day |
| Monday 28 December 2026 | Additional public holiday for Boxing Day |
Best annual leave hacks in Queensland for 2026
For workers in Brisbane and across Queensland, these are the highest-value ways to stack annual leave in 2026. The interactive planner above fits them to your exact leave balance.
- The New Year Kick-Off: spend 1 leave day across Thu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan to get 4 days off (4.0× return).
- The Christmas Mega-Stretch: spend 3 leave days across Fri 25 Dec to Sun 3 Jan to get 10 days off (3.3× return).
- The Easter Double-Dip: spend 4 leave days across Sat 28 Mar to Mon 6 Apr to get 10 days off (2.5× return).
- The Australia Day Getaway: spend 4 leave days across Sat 24 Jan to Sun 1 Feb to get 9 days off (2.3× return).
- The Labour Day Long Weekend: spend 4 leave days across Sat 2 May to Sun 10 May to get 9 days off (2.3× return).
Long weekends in Queensland 2026
These long weekends need no annual leave at all. They fall naturally when a public holiday lands next to a weekend in Queensland. See the full Queensland long-weekend guide for 2026 to stretch each one further.
- Sat 24 Jan to Mon 26 Jan: 3 days off (Australia Day)
- Fri 3 Apr to Mon 6 Apr: 4 days off (Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday)
- Sat 2 May to Mon 4 May: 3 days off (Labour Day)
- Sat 3 Oct to Mon 5 Oct: 3 days off (King's Birthday)
- Fri 25 Dec to Mon 28 Dec: 4 days off (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Additional public holiday for Boxing Day)
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays are there in Queensland in 2026?
Queensland has 12 full-day, state-wide public holidays in 2026. There are also 1 regional-only holiday. 1 part-day holiday (which do not count as a full day off) also apply.
When is the King's Birthday long weekend in Queensland in 2026?
The King's Birthday public holiday in Queensland is on Monday 5 October 2026, so the long weekend runs from the Saturday through to that Monday, a three-day break with no leave needed.
Is Easter Sunday a public holiday in Queensland in 2026?
Yes. Queensland observes Easter Sunday (Sunday 5 April 2026) as a public holiday in 2026, on top of Good Friday (Friday 3 April 2026) and Easter Monday.
Do I still get a day off when a public holiday falls on a weekend in Queensland in 2026?
Yes. In 2026, Easter Saturday (Sat 4 Apr), Easter Sunday (Sun 5 Apr), Anzac Day (Sat 25 Apr), Boxing Day (Sat 26 Dec) fall on a weekend in Queensland, so an additional substitute public holiday is observed on the following weekday. Those substitute days are listed in the table above and count as full days off.
What is the best way to stretch annual leave in Queensland in 2026?
The New Year Kick-Off: take 1 leave day across Thu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan to get 4 consecutive days off, a 4.0× return. Use the planner above to fit it to your leave balance.
Are Christmas Day and Boxing Day public holidays in Queensland in 2026?
Yes. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday (Fri 25 Dec). When Christmas Day or Boxing Day lands on a weekend, Queensland observes an additional substitute public holiday on the following weekday. The full-year list is in the table above.
When are the long weekends in Queensland in 2026?
Queensland's free long weekends (no leave needed) in 2026 are: Sat 24 Jan to Mon 26 Jan (3 days); Fri 3 Apr to Mon 6 Apr (4 days); Sat 2 May to Mon 4 May (3 days); Sat 3 Oct to Mon 5 Oct (3 days); Fri 25 Dec to Mon 28 Dec (4 days). Stacking a day or two of leave around them unlocks even longer breaks. See the hacks above.