Australia Long Weekends 2027
Australia has no federal holiday act, so "how many long weekends does Australia have" has no single answer. Only three breaks are guaranteed in every state and territory in 2027: New Year (Jan 1–3), the four-day Easter weekend (Mar 26–29) and a four-day Christmas run (Dec 25–28), the last one produced by substitute days on Monday Dec 27 and Tuesday Dec 28. Everything else — King’s Birthday, Labour Day, even whether Anzac Day gets a Monday — is decided state by state.
Australia long weekends in 2027
New Year
3 daysJan 1 – 3
New Year's Day falls on a Friday, giving a three-day weekend.
Easter
4 daysMar 26 – 29
Good Friday and Easter Monday bracket the weekend — four days off.
Christmas
4 daysDec 25 – 28
The Christmas weekend plus the Monday and Tuesday substitutes — four days in a row.
Why only three long weekends are truly national
Seven dates are observed in every state and territory — New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In 2027 only three of them line up with a weekend edge. Australia Day (Tue Jan 26) sits mid-week and produces nothing on its own, and Anzac Day falls on Sunday April 25, where the rules split: several states grant a public holiday on Monday April 26, while others keep the commemoration on the Sunday with no extra day off. So Anzac Day is a three-day weekend in some states and an ordinary weekend in others.
The Christmas break is the one place where the substitution rule works in everyone’s favour. Christmas Day is a Saturday and Boxing Day a Sunday in 2027, so two substitute public holidays are added on Monday December 27 and Tuesday December 28. That makes December 25–28 a solid four-day block nationwide, and three days of annual leave (Dec 29, 30 and 31) stretch it all the way to Sunday January 2 — nine days off for three days of leave, the best trade of the year.
Your state decides the rest: King’s Birthday, Labour Day and local days
King’s Birthday is the clearest example. Most states take it on the second Monday of June — June 14, 2027, giving a June 12–14 long weekend — but Queensland holds it in October and Western Australia in late September or October, so the same holiday lands three to four months apart depending on where you work. Labour Day is even more scattered: March in Victoria and Tasmania, May in Queensland, October in New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT.
On top of that, states gazette their own days: Easter Saturday (most states, but not Tasmania or Western Australia), Easter Sunday in some, Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria, the Adelaide Cup, Canberra Day, Picnic Day in the Northern Territory and WA Day. Several of these are deliberately placed on a Monday, so a typical state calendar ends up with roughly five to seven long weekends rather than three. Check the official calendar for the state where you actually work before booking anything.
Official sources & data
- Public holidaysVisit sourceFair Work Ombudsman
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does Australia have in 2027?+
Three are national: New Year (Jan 1–3), Easter (Mar 26–29, four days) and Christmas (Dec 25–28, four days). Your own state adds more through King’s Birthday, Labour Day and local holidays, which typically brings the real total to five to seven.
What is the longest break in Australia in 2027?+
Easter and Christmas tie at four days. Easter runs Friday March 26 to Monday March 29 (Good Friday and Easter Monday bracketing the weekend); Christmas runs Saturday December 25 to Tuesday December 28 thanks to the two substitute days.
Why are December 27 and 28 public holidays in 2027?+
Christmas Day (Dec 25) falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day (Dec 26) on a Sunday. When these fixed-date holidays land on a weekend, an extra public holiday is added on the following weekday, so the substitutes are Monday December 27 for Christmas and Tuesday December 28 for Boxing Day.
Is Anzac Day 2027 a long weekend in Australia?+
It depends on your state. Anzac Day is Sunday April 25, 2027. Several states declare a public holiday on Monday April 26, which creates a three-day weekend; others commemorate the day on the Sunday without granting a substitute, so there is no extra day off. Check your state’s official calendar.
When is the King’s Birthday long weekend in 2027?+
In most states it is June 12–14, 2027, with the holiday on the second Monday of June (June 14). Queensland observes King’s Birthday in October and Western Australia in late September or October, so those states get their long weekend at a completely different time of year.
How can I stretch the 2027 long weekends with annual leave?+
The year-end is by far the best value: take Wednesday December 29, Thursday December 30 and Friday December 31 off, and the four-day Christmas block runs unbroken from Saturday December 25 to Sunday January 2 — nine days for three days of leave. At Easter, one leave day on Thursday March 25 makes it five days (Mar 25–29).