Holiday planning
Long Weekends in New Zealand 2026
New Zealand has 17 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 5 days around Good Friday & Easter Monday & Southland Anniversary Day (Fri 3 Apr – Tue 7 Apr). Take Thursday off and turn the Good Friday & Easter Monday & Southland Anniversary Day break into a 6-day run.
17
Long weekends
6
Longest break (days)
17
Bridge day opportunities
Official reference: Employment New Zealand — Public holidays · How we verify this data
All long weekends in New Zealand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 31 Dec – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day, Day after New Year's Day | 4 | Wednesday(Wed 31 Dec) | 5d |
| Fri 16 Jan – Mon 19 Jan | Wellington Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 16 Jan) | 4d |
| Fri 23 Jan – Mon 26 Jan | Auckland Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 23 Jan) | 4d |
| Fri 30 Jan – Mon 2 Feb | Nelson Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 30 Jan) | 4d |
| Thu 5 Feb – Sun 8 Feb | Waitangi Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 5 Feb) | 4d |
| Fri 6 Mar – Mon 9 Mar | Taranaki Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 6 Mar) | 4d |
| Fri 20 Mar – Mon 23 Mar | Otago Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 20 Mar) | 4d |
| Thu 2 Apr – Tue 7 Apr | Good Friday, Easter Monday, Southland Anniversary Day | 5 | Thursday(Thu 2 Apr) | 6d |
| Fri 24 Apr – Mon 27 Apr | ANZAC Day, Anzac Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 24 Apr) | 4d |
| Fri 29 May – Mon 1 Jun | King's Birthday | 3 | Friday(Fri 29 May) | 4d |
| Thu 9 Jul – Sun 12 Jul | Matariki | 3 | Thursday(Thu 9 Jul) | 4d |
| Fri 25 Sept – Mon 28 Sept | Canterbury (South) Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 25 Sept) | 4d |
| Thu 22 Oct – Mon 26 Oct | Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day, Labour Day | 4 | Thursday(Thu 22 Oct) | 5d |
| Fri 30 Oct – Mon 2 Nov | Marlborough Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 30 Oct) | 4d |
| Thu 12 Nov – Sun 15 Nov | Canterbury Anniversary Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 12 Nov) | 4d |
| Fri 27 Nov – Mon 30 Nov | Chatham Islands Anniversary Day | 3 | Friday(Fri 27 Nov) | 4d |
| Thu 24 Dec – Mon 28 Dec | Christmas Day, Boxing Day | 4 | Thursday(Thu 24 Dec) | 5d |
Best long weekends in New Zealand 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
April
Good Friday & Easter Monday & Southland Anniversary Day
Thu 2 Apr – Tue 7 Apr
6
days
January
New Year's Day & Day after New Year's Day
Wed 31 Dec – Sun 4 Jan
5
days
October
Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day & Labour Day
Thu 22 Oct – Mon 26 Oct
5
days
December
Christmas Day & Boxing Day
Thu 24 Dec – Mon 28 Dec
5
days
How to use bridge days in New Zealand
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 New Zealand 2026, there are 17 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Good Friday & Easter Monday & Southland Anniversary Day: take Thursday off to turn a 5-day break into 6 consecutive days using only 1 day of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Good Friday
Fri 3 Apr
Easter Monday
Mon 6 Apr
Southland Anniversary Day
Tue 7 Apr
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
Day after New Year's Day
Fri 2 Jan
Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day
Fri 23 Oct
Labour Day
Mon 26 Oct
Christmas Day
Fri 25 Dec
Boxing Day
Sat 26 Dec
Wellington Anniversary Day
Mon 19 Jan
Auckland Anniversary Day
Mon 26 Jan
Nelson Anniversary Day
Mon 2 Feb
Waitangi Day
Fri 6 Feb
Taranaki Anniversary Day
Mon 9 Mar
Otago Anniversary Day
Mon 23 Mar
ANZAC Day
Sat 25 Apr
Anzac Day
Mon 27 Apr
King's Birthday
Mon 1 Jun
Matariki
Fri 10 Jul
Canterbury (South) Anniversary Day
Mon 28 Sept
Marlborough Anniversary Day
Mon 2 Nov
Canterbury Anniversary Day
Fri 13 Nov
Chatham Islands Anniversary Day
Mon 30 Nov
Continue exploring
More for New Zealand 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in New Zealand 2026
Full list of 25 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in New Zealand 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in New Zealand 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 New Zealand have in 2026?
New Zealand has 17 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 New Zealand in 2026?
The longest break is 6 days from Thursday, 2 April 2026 to Tuesday, 7 April 2026, centred around Good Friday and Easter Monday and Southland Anniversary Day (taking Thursday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in New Zealand 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Good Friday & Easter Monday & Southland Anniversary Day (Fri 3 Apr – Tue 7 Apr). Take Thursday as annual leave to get a 6-day break using only 1 day of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in New Zealand?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.