Victoria has 14 full-day public holidays in 2026. Only Victoria stops for Melbourne Cup Day, and Melbourne adds an AFL Grand Final eve holiday no other state shares. 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.
🇦🇺 Victoria · 2026 public holidays loaded
Victoria 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 Victoria hacks
16 leave days → 40 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 Cup Week Special
Sat 31 Oct to Tue 3 Nov 2026
4.0× return
31Sat
1Sun
2Mon
3Tue
Spend 1 leave days → get 4 days off
HACK #3
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 #4
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 #5
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
+ 3 spare leave days
Drop them on Fridays for 3 bonus 3-day weekends
Turn a plain Friday into a proper mini-break.
🏝 Book a weekend getawayYour year at a glance
no calendar app needed
Leave you spend Free day off (★ = public holiday) Workday
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Public holidays in Victoria in 2026
Every public holiday gazetted in Victoria for 2026, from Melbourne, is listed below, including Melbourne 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 Victoria 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 | Labour Day |
| Friday 3 April 2026 | Good Friday |
| Saturday 4 April 2026 | Saturday before Easter Sunday |
| 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 |
| Friday 25 September 2026 | Friday before the AFL Grand Final |
| Tuesday 3 November 2026 | Melbourne Cup 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 Victoria for 2026
For workers in Melbourne and across Victoria, 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 Cup Week Special: spend 1 leave day across Sat 31 Oct to Tue 3 Nov 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).
Long weekends in Victoria 2026
These long weekends need no annual leave at all. They fall naturally when a public holiday lands next to a weekend in Victoria. See the full Victoria 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 (Labour Day)
- Fri 3 Apr to Mon 6 Apr: 4 days off (Good Friday, Saturday before Easter Sunday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday)
- Sat 6 Jun to Mon 8 Jun: 3 days off (King's Birthday)
- Fri 25 Sep to Sun 27 Sep: 3 days off (Friday before the AFL Grand Final)
- 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 Victoria in 2026?
Victoria has 14 full-day, state-wide public holidays in 2026.
When is the King's Birthday long weekend in Victoria in 2026?
The King's Birthday public holiday in Victoria 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 Victoria in 2026?
Yes. Victoria 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 Victoria in 2026?
Yes. In 2026, Saturday before Easter Sunday (Sat 4 Apr), Easter Sunday (Sun 5 Apr), Anzac Day (Sat 25 Apr), Boxing Day (Sat 26 Dec) fall on a weekend in Victoria, 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 Victoria 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 Victoria in 2026?
Yes. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday (Fri 25 Dec). When Christmas Day or Boxing Day lands on a weekend, Victoria 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 Victoria in 2026?
Victoria'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); Fri 25 Sep to Sun 27 Sep (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.