South Australia has 13 full-day public holidays in 2026. Adelaide and South Australia enjoy Adelaide Cup Day in March, and are one of the few states to keep Easter Sunday. 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.
🇦🇺 South Australia · 2026 public holidays loaded
South Australia 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 South Australia 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 Adelaide Cup Stack
Sat 7 Mar to Sun 15 Mar 2026
2.3× return
7Sat
8Sun
9Mon
10Tue
11Wed
12Thu
13Fri
14Sat
15Sun
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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February 2026
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March 2026
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Public holidays in South Australia in 2026
Every public holiday gazetted in South Australia for 2026, from Adelaide, is listed below, including Adelaide Cup Day. 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 South Australia government gazette. Last checked July 2026.
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January 2026 | New Year's Day |
| Monday 26 January 2026 | Australia Day |
| Monday 9 March 2026 | Adelaide Cup 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 8 June 2026 | King's Birthday |
| Monday 5 October 2026 | Labour Day |
| Thursday 24 December 2026 | Christmas Eve (part-day)part-day |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day |
| Saturday 26 December 2026 | Proclamation Day |
| Monday 28 December 2026 | Additional public holiday for Proclamation Day |
| Thursday 31 December 2026 | New Year's Eve (part-day)part-day |
Best annual leave hacks in South Australia for 2026
For workers in Adelaide and across South Australia, 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 Adelaide Cup Stack: spend 4 leave days across Sat 7 Mar to Sun 15 Mar to get 9 days off (2.3× return).
Long weekends in South Australia 2026
These long weekends need no annual leave at all. They fall naturally when a public holiday lands next to a weekend in South Australia. See the full South Australia long-weekend guide for 2026 to stretch each one further.
- Sat 24 Jan to Mon 26 Jan: 3 days off (Australia Day)
- Sat 7 Mar to Mon 9 Mar: 3 days off (Adelaide Cup Day)
- Fri 3 Apr to Mon 6 Apr: 4 days off (Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday)
- Sat 6 Jun to Mon 8 Jun: 3 days off (King's Birthday)
- Sat 3 Oct to Mon 5 Oct: 3 days off (Labour Day)
- Fri 25 Dec to Mon 28 Dec: 4 days off (Christmas Day, Proclamation Day, Additional public holiday for Proclamation Day)
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays are there in South Australia in 2026?
South Australia has 13 full-day, state-wide public holidays in 2026. 2 part-day holidays (which do not count as a full day off) also apply.
When is the King's Birthday long weekend in South Australia in 2026?
The King's Birthday public holiday in South Australia is on Monday 8 June 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 South Australia in 2026?
Yes. South Australia 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 South Australia in 2026?
Yes. In 2026, Easter Saturday (Sat 4 Apr), Easter Sunday (Sun 5 Apr), Anzac Day (Sat 25 Apr), Proclamation Day (Sat 26 Dec) fall on a weekend in South Australia, 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 South Australia 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 South Australia in 2026?
Yes. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday (Fri 25 Dec). When Christmas Day or Boxing Day lands on a weekend, South Australia 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 South Australia in 2026?
South Australia's free long weekends (no leave needed) in 2026 are: Sat 24 Jan to Mon 26 Jan (3 days); Sat 7 Mar to Mon 9 Mar (3 days); Fri 3 Apr to Mon 6 Apr (4 days); Sat 6 Jun to Mon 8 Jun (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.