Holiday planning
Long Weekends in Papua New Guinea 2026
Papua New Guinea has 9 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.
9
Long weekends
5
Longest break (days)
9
Bridge day opportunities
All long weekends in Papua New Guinea 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 |
| Thu 26 Feb – Sun 1 Mar | National Remembrance Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 27 Feb) | 4d |
| Thu 2 Apr – Mon 6 Apr | Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday | 4 | Thursday(Thu 2 Apr) | 5d |
| Fri 5 Jun – Mon 8 Jun | Queen's Birthday | 3 | Friday(Fri 5 Jun) | 4d |
| Sat 13 Jun – Wed 17 Jun | King's Birthday | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 15 Jun, Tue 16 Jun) | 5d |
| Thu 23 Jul – Sun 26 Jul | Remembrance Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 24 Jul) | 4d |
| Sat 22 Aug – Wed 26 Aug | Repentance Day | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 24 Aug, Tue 25 Aug) | 5d |
| Sat 12 Sept – Wed 16 Sept | Independence Day | 1 | Monday + Tuesday(Mon 14 Sept, Tue 15 Sept) | 5d |
| Thu 24 Dec – Sun 27 Dec | Christmas Day, Boxing Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 24 Dec) | 4d |
Best long weekends in Papua New Guinea 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
June
King's Birthday
Sat 13 Jun – Wed 17 Jun
5
days
August
Repentance Day
Sat 22 Aug – Wed 26 Aug
5
days
September
Independence Day
Sat 12 Sept – Wed 16 Sept
5
days
How to use bridge days in Papua New Guinea
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 Papua New Guinea 2026, there are 9 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
King's Birthday
Wed 17 Jun
Repentance Day
Wed 26 Aug
Independence Day
Wed 16 Sept
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
National Remembrance Day
Thu 26 Feb
Queen's Birthday
Mon 8 Jun
Remembrance Day
Thu 23 Jul
Christmas Day
Fri 25 Dec
Boxing Day
Sat 26 Dec
Continue exploring
More for Papua New Guinea 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in Papua New Guinea 2026
Full list of 13 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in Papua New Guinea 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in Papua New Guinea 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Country overview
Papua New Guinea holidays overview
All years at a glance — upcoming public holidays.
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 Papua New Guinea have in 2026?
Papua New Guinea has 9 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 Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.