New Zealand Public Holidays 2026
All New Zealand public holidays 2026
Regional anniversary days 2026
Every region of New Zealand has one extra public holiday, its provincial anniversary day. You get the one for the region where you work, so most people have 12 public holidays a year: the 11 national ones above plus their anniversary day. Most are observed on the Monday nearest the actual anniversary; the exceptions are noted.
| Date off | Day | Region | Anniversary / rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jan | Monday | Wellington | 22 January · Monday nearest the anniversary |
| 26 Jan | Monday | Auckland | 29 January · Monday nearest the anniversary |
| 2 Feb | Monday | Nelson | 1 February · Monday nearest the anniversary |
| 9 Mar | Monday | Taranaki | 31 March · Second Monday in March (moved to avoid Easter) |
| 23 Mar | Monday | Otago | 23 March · Monday nearest the anniversary |
| 7 Apr | Tuesday | Southland | 17 January · Easter Tuesday |
| 28 Sept | Monday | Canterbury (South) | 16 December · Fourth Monday in September (Dominion Day) |
| 23 Oct | Friday | Hawke's Bay | 1 November · Friday before Labour Day |
| 2 Nov | Monday | Marlborough | 1 November · First Monday after Labour Day |
| 13 Nov | Friday | Canterbury | 16 December · Christchurch Show Day: second Friday after the first Tuesday in November |
| 30 Nov | Monday | Westland | 1 December · Monday nearest the anniversary |
| 30 Nov | Monday | Chatham Islands | 30 November · Monday nearest the anniversary |
Employment New Zealand publishes these dates but notes they can contain errors and that local custom varies (Otago and parts of Westland especially), so check with your local council or your employment agreement.
Long weekends in 2026 (8)
Long weekends in New Zealand 2026
These are the breaks of three days or more where a public holiday joins the weekend (Monday to Friday working week). Expected Islamic holidays are included, so check the final dates nearer the time.
- 1 Jan – 4 Jan: 4 days off (Thursday to Sunday)
- 6 Feb – 8 Feb: 3 days off (Friday to Sunday)
- 3 Apr – 6 Apr: 4 days off (Friday to Monday)
- 25 Apr – 27 Apr: 3 days off (Saturday to Monday)
- 30 May – 1 Jun: 3 days off (Saturday to Monday)
- 10 Jul – 12 Jul: 3 days off (Friday to Sunday)
- 24 Oct – 26 Oct: 3 days off (Saturday to Monday)
- 25 Dec – 28 Dec: 4 days off (Friday to Monday)
Show the full 2026 calendar
public holiday Expected Possible, depends on moon sighting Weekend
January 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
February 2026
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| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
March 2026
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| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
April 2026
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May 2026
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| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
June 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
July 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
August 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
September 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
October 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
November 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 |
December 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Working days per month
Working days in New Zealand 2026
Counted for a Monday to Friday working week, after taking out the public holidays above. To count the working days between any two dates, or add working days to a date, use the working days calculator.
| Month | Working days | Holidays on weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 2 |
| February | 19 | 1 |
| March | 22 | 0 |
| April | 19 | 3 |
| May | 21 | 0 |
| June | 21 | 1 |
| July | 22 | 1 |
| August | 21 | 0 |
| September | 22 | 0 |
| October | 21 | 1 |
| November | 21 | 0 |
| December | 21 | 2 |
| Total | 250 | 11 |
Questions
How many public holidays are there in New Zealand in 2026?
There are 11 public holidays in 2026, covering 11 days in total.
How many public holidays are there in New Zealand?
There are 11 national public holidays, plus one regional anniversary day depending on where you work, so 12 in total for most people. Matariki became the newest public holiday in 2022.
When is Matariki 2026?
Friday, 10 July 2026. The date changes every year to follow the rising of the Matariki star cluster, and the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022 sets it in advance. It always falls on a Friday in June or July.
What is Mondayisation?
When Waitangi Day or Anzac Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday moves to the Monday for anyone who would not normally work that weekend day. In 2026 Waitangi Day is on Friday 6 February, a weekday, so there is no Monday move, and Anzac Day is on Saturday 25 April, so it moves to Monday 27 April for people who do not normally work that day. Christmas, Boxing Day, 1 and 2 January move the same way, to the Monday or Tuesday.
When are Labour Day and King's Birthday 2026?
King's Birthday is the first Monday in June: Monday, 1 June 2026. Labour Day is the fourth Monday in October: Monday, 26 October 2026.
What do I get if I work on a public holiday?
Under the Holidays Act 2003 you are paid at least time and a half for the hours you work. If the public holiday falls on a day you would normally work, you also get an alternative holiday (a paid day off in lieu) to take later.
Is Easter Sunday a public holiday in New Zealand?
No. Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays; Easter Sunday is not. It is a restricted trading day: most shops must close unless an exemption applies or the local council has an Easter Sunday trading policy that lets them open.
Are these New Zealand holiday dates official?
Dates marked Confirmed come from the official source listed below. Dates marked Expected follow the usual rules and are updated when the government announces the final dates.
Last checked 17 October 2026. Source: Employment New Zealand: public holidays and anniversary dates.