Holiday planning
Long Weekends in Australia 2026
Australia has 15 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 4 days around Good Friday & Holy Saturday & Easter Sunday & Easter Monday (Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Apr). Take Thursday off and turn the Good Friday & Holy Saturday & Easter Sunday & Easter Monday break into a 5-day run.
15
Long weekends
5
Longest break (days)
15
Bridge day opportunities
Official reference: australia.gov.au — Public holidays · How we verify this data
All long weekends in Australia 2026
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 2 Jan) | 4d |
| Fri 23 Jan – Mon 26 Jan | Australia Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 23 Jan) | 4d |
| Fri 27 Feb – Mon 2 Mar | Labour Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 27 Feb) | 4d |
| Fri 6 Mar – Mon 9 Mar | Adelaide Cup Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 6 Mar) | 4d |
| Fri 20 Mar – Mon 23 Mar | Labour Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 20 Mar) | 4d |
| Thu 2 Apr – Mon 6 Apr | Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday | 4 | Thursday(Thu 2 Apr) | 5d |
| Fri 24 Apr – Mon 27 Apr | Anzac Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 24 Apr) | 4d |
| Fri 1 May – Mon 4 May | Labour Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 1 May) | 4d |
| Fri 29 May – Mon 1 Jun | Reconciliation Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 29 May) | 4d |
| Fri 5 Jun – Mon 8 Jun | King's Birthday | 3 | Friday(Fri 5 Jun) | 4d |
| Fri 31 Jul – Mon 3 Aug | Picnic Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 31 Jul) | 4d |
| Fri 25 Sept – Mon 28 Sept | King's Birthday | 3 | Friday(Fri 25 Sept) | 4d |
| Fri 2 Oct – Mon 5 Oct | King's Birthday | 3 | Friday(Fri 2 Oct) | 4d |
| Sat 31 Oct – Tue 3 Nov | Melbourne Cup | 1 | Monday(Mon 2 Nov) | 4d |
| Thu 24 Dec – Mon 28 Dec | Christmas Day, Boxing Day, St. Stephen's Day | 4 | Thursday(Thu 24 Dec) | 5d |
Best long weekends in Australia 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
April
Good Friday & Holy Saturday & Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
Thu 2 Apr – Mon 6 Apr
5
days
December
Christmas Day & Boxing Day & St. Stephen's Day
Thu 24 Dec – Mon 28 Dec
5
days
January
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan
4
days
January
Australia Day
Fri 23 Jan – Mon 26 Jan
4
days
How to use bridge days in Australia
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In Australia 2026, there are 15 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Good Friday & Holy Saturday & Easter Sunday & Easter Monday: take Thursday off to turn a 4-day break into 5 consecutive days using only 1 day of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Good Friday
Fri 3 Apr
Holy Saturday
Sat 4 Apr
Easter Sunday
Sun 5 Apr
Easter Monday
Mon 6 Apr
Christmas Day
Fri 25 Dec
Boxing Day
Sat 26 Dec
St. Stephen's Day
Mon 28 Dec
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
Australia Day
Mon 26 Jan
Labour Day
Mon 2 Mar
Adelaide Cup Day
Mon 9 Mar
Anzac Day
Sat 25 Apr
Reconciliation Day
Mon 1 Jun
King's Birthday
Mon 8 Jun
Picnic Day
Mon 3 Aug
Melbourne Cup
Tue 3 Nov
Continue exploring
More for Australia 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in Australia 2026
Full list of 27 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in Australia 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in Australia 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Region guide
Public holidays across Asia Pacific
Compare holiday calendars for neighbouring countries in the region.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does Australia have in 2026?
Australia has 15 long weekends in 2026 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in Australia in 2026?
The longest break is 5 days from Thursday, 2 April 2026 to Monday, 6 April 2026, centred around Good Friday and Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (taking Thursday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in Australia 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Good Friday & Holy Saturday & Easter Sunday & Easter Monday (Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Apr). Take Thursday as annual leave to get a 5-day break using only 1 day of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in Australia?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.