Maximise Annual Leave in Australian Capital Territory
The ACT carries some of the country's most generous holiday set — Canberra Day in March and Reconciliation Day in late May or early June — on top of the full national calendar.
Canberra Day (second Monday in March) and Reconciliation Day (late May / early June) are territory-specific holidays. Below are every Australian Capital Territory public holiday for 2026 and 2027, drawn from the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Capital Territory government, followed by the dates worth spending leave on.
Australian Capital Territory public holidays, 2026 & 2027
| Date | Public holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan 2026 | New Year's Day | National |
| Mon 26 Jan 2026 | Australia Day | National |
| Mon 9 Mar 2026 | Canberra Day | State/Territory |
| Fri 3 Apr 2026 | Good Friday | National |
| Sat 4 Apr 2026 | Easter Saturday | State/Territory |
| Sun 5 Apr 2026 | Easter Sunday | State/Territory |
| Mon 6 Apr 2026 | Easter Monday | National |
| Mon 27 Apr 2026 | Anzac Day (Monday) (Observed Monday as 25 April is Saturday) | National |
| Mon 1 Jun 2026 | Reconciliation Day | State/Territory |
| Mon 8 Jun 2026 | King's Birthday | National |
| Mon 5 Oct 2026 | Labour Day | State/Territory |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | National |
| Sat 26 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day | National |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Additional public holiday (Boxing Day) (Boxing Day falls on Saturday) | State/Territory |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | National |
| Tue 26 Jan 2027 | Australia Day | National |
| Mon 8 Mar 2027 | Canberra Day | State/Territory |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | National |
| Sat 27 Mar 2027 | Easter Saturday | State/Territory |
| Sun 28 Mar 2027 | Easter Sunday | State/Territory |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | National |
| Mon 26 Apr 2027 | Anzac Day (Monday) (Observed Monday as 25 April is Sunday) | National |
| Mon 31 May 2027 | Reconciliation Day | State/Territory |
| Mon 14 Jun 2027 | King's Birthday | National |
| Mon 4 Oct 2027 | Labour Day | State/Territory |
| Sat 25 Dec 2027 | Christmas Day | National |
| Sun 26 Dec 2027 | Boxing Day | National |
| Mon 27 Dec 2027 | Additional public holiday (Christmas Day) (Christmas Day falls on Saturday) | State/Territory |
| Tue 28 Dec 2027 | Additional public holiday (Boxing Day) (Boxing Day falls on Sunday) | State/Territory |
Public-holiday dataset rechecked 20 July 2026 against the release source register. Regional holidays may vary within Australian Capital Territory; confirm before booking.
How to maximise Australian Capital Territory public holidays
If you are searching for how to maximise Australian Capital Territory public holidays, begin with the dates that fall on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, then test the days either side of each holiday. For ACT workers, Canberra Day, Reconciliation Day, Easter, Anzac Day, Labour Day, and Christmas-New Year are the main dates to test before booking leave. The calculator then ranks those options against your leave balance rather than assuming every long weekend is equally valuable.
What makes Australian Capital Territory different
Canberra has two local planning anchors that do not appear in most states: Canberra Day in March and Reconciliation Day in late May. Both create Monday long weekends. The practical ACT distinction is therefore not a single spectacular mid-week holiday, but an unusually useful spread of autumn and early-winter Mondays. Workers should also distinguish ACT-wide holidays from employer shutdown days and check that a proposed bridge does not overlap a parliamentary, school, or project peak.
The complete ranked leave bridges
These tables are generated from the same public-holiday data and bridge-finding rules used by the calculator. Every single, double, and triple bridge accepted by the optimiser is shown, ranked first by calendar days off per leave day, then by break length. Equal-looking rows can use different holiday anchors or leave dates.
2026 complete ranked bridge table
| Rank | Break | Book these working days | Leave | Days off | Efficiency | Holiday anchors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu 1 Jan 2026 to Sun 4 Jan 2026 | Fri 2 Jan 2026 | 1 | 4 | 4.0× | New Year's Day |
| 2 | Sat 28 Mar 2026 to Mon 6 Apr 2026 | Mon 30 Mar 2026, Tue 31 Mar 2026, Wed 1 Apr 2026, Thu 2 Apr 2026 | 4 | 10 | 2.5× | Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday |
| 3 | Fri 3 Apr 2026 to Sun 12 Apr 2026 | Tue 7 Apr 2026, Wed 8 Apr 2026, Thu 9 Apr 2026, Fri 10 Apr 2026 | 4 | 10 | 2.5× | Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday |
| 4 | Sat 30 May 2026 to Mon 8 Jun 2026 | Tue 2 Jun 2026, Wed 3 Jun 2026, Thu 4 Jun 2026, Fri 5 Jun 2026 | 4 | 10 | 2.5× | Reconciliation Day, King's Birthday |
| 5 | Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Mon 21 Dec 2026, Tue 22 Dec 2026, Wed 23 Dec 2026, Thu 24 Dec 2026 | 4 | 10 | 2.5× | Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Additional public holiday (Boxing Day) |
| 6 | Sat 24 Jan 2026 to Sun 1 Feb 2026 | Tue 27 Jan 2026, Wed 28 Jan 2026, Thu 29 Jan 2026, Fri 30 Jan 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Australia Day |
| 7 | Sat 7 Mar 2026 to Sun 15 Mar 2026 | Tue 10 Mar 2026, Wed 11 Mar 2026, Thu 12 Mar 2026, Fri 13 Mar 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Canberra Day |
| 8 | Sat 25 Apr 2026 to Sun 3 May 2026 | Tue 28 Apr 2026, Wed 29 Apr 2026, Thu 30 Apr 2026, Fri 1 May 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Anzac Day (Monday) |
| 9 | Sat 6 Jun 2026 to Sun 14 Jun 2026 | Tue 9 Jun 2026, Wed 10 Jun 2026, Thu 11 Jun 2026, Fri 12 Jun 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | King's Birthday |
| 10 | Sat 3 Oct 2026 to Sun 11 Oct 2026 | Tue 6 Oct 2026, Wed 7 Oct 2026, Thu 8 Oct 2026, Fri 9 Oct 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Labour Day |
| 11 | Sat 17 Jan 2026 to Mon 26 Jan 2026 | Mon 19 Jan 2026, Tue 20 Jan 2026, Wed 21 Jan 2026, Thu 22 Jan 2026, Fri 23 Jan 2026 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Australia Day |
| 12 | Sat 28 Feb 2026 to Mon 9 Mar 2026 | Mon 2 Mar 2026, Tue 3 Mar 2026, Wed 4 Mar 2026, Thu 5 Mar 2026, Fri 6 Mar 2026 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Canberra Day |
| 13 | Sat 18 Apr 2026 to Mon 27 Apr 2026 | Mon 20 Apr 2026, Tue 21 Apr 2026, Wed 22 Apr 2026, Thu 23 Apr 2026, Fri 24 Apr 2026 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Anzac Day (Monday) |
| 14 | Sat 23 May 2026 to Mon 1 Jun 2026 | Mon 25 May 2026, Tue 26 May 2026, Wed 27 May 2026, Thu 28 May 2026, Fri 29 May 2026 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Reconciliation Day |
| 15 | Sat 26 Sep 2026 to Mon 5 Oct 2026 | Mon 28 Sep 2026, Tue 29 Sep 2026, Wed 30 Sep 2026, Thu 1 Oct 2026, Fri 2 Oct 2026 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Labour Day |
| 16 | Thu 1 Jan 2026 to Sun 11 Jan 2026 | Fri 2 Jan 2026, Mon 5 Jan 2026, Tue 6 Jan 2026, Wed 7 Jan 2026, Thu 8 Jan 2026, Fri 9 Jan 2026 | 6 | 11 | 1.8× | New Year's Day |
2027 complete ranked bridge table
| Rank | Break | Book these working days | Leave | Days off | Efficiency | Holiday anchors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 23 Jan 2027 to Tue 26 Jan 2027 | Mon 25 Jan 2027 | 1 | 4 | 4.0× | Australia Day |
| 2 | Sat 20 Mar 2027 to Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Mon 22 Mar 2027, Tue 23 Mar 2027, Wed 24 Mar 2027, Thu 25 Mar 2027 | 4 | 10 | 2.5× | Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday |
| 3 | Fri 26 Mar 2027 to Sun 4 Apr 2027 | Tue 30 Mar 2027, Wed 31 Mar 2027, Thu 1 Apr 2027, Fri 2 Apr 2027 | 4 | 10 | 2.5× | Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday |
| 4 | Sat 23 Jan 2027 to Sun 31 Jan 2027 | Mon 25 Jan 2027, Wed 27 Jan 2027, Thu 28 Jan 2027, Fri 29 Jan 2027 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Australia Day |
| 5 | Sat 6 Mar 2027 to Sun 14 Mar 2027 | Tue 9 Mar 2027, Wed 10 Mar 2027, Thu 11 Mar 2027, Fri 12 Mar 2027 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Canberra Day |
| 6 | Sat 24 Apr 2027 to Sun 2 May 2027 | Tue 27 Apr 2027, Wed 28 Apr 2027, Thu 29 Apr 2027, Fri 30 Apr 2027 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Anzac Day (Monday) |
| 7 | Sat 29 May 2027 to Sun 6 Jun 2027 | Tue 1 Jun 2027, Wed 2 Jun 2027, Thu 3 Jun 2027, Fri 4 Jun 2027 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Reconciliation Day |
| 8 | Sat 12 Jun 2027 to Sun 20 Jun 2027 | Tue 15 Jun 2027, Wed 16 Jun 2027, Thu 17 Jun 2027, Fri 18 Jun 2027 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | King's Birthday |
| 9 | Sat 2 Oct 2027 to Sun 10 Oct 2027 | Tue 5 Oct 2027, Wed 6 Oct 2027, Thu 7 Oct 2027, Fri 8 Oct 2027 | 4 | 9 | 2.2× | Labour Day |
| 10 | Sat 18 Dec 2027 to Tue 28 Dec 2027 | Mon 20 Dec 2027, Tue 21 Dec 2027, Wed 22 Dec 2027, Thu 23 Dec 2027, Fri 24 Dec 2027 | 5 | 11 | 2.2× | Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Additional public holiday (Christmas Day), Additional public holiday (Boxing Day) |
| 11 | Fri 1 Jan 2027 to Sun 10 Jan 2027 | Mon 4 Jan 2027, Tue 5 Jan 2027, Wed 6 Jan 2027, Thu 7 Jan 2027, Fri 8 Jan 2027 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | New Year's Day |
| 12 | Sat 27 Feb 2027 to Mon 8 Mar 2027 | Mon 1 Mar 2027, Tue 2 Mar 2027, Wed 3 Mar 2027, Thu 4 Mar 2027, Fri 5 Mar 2027 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Canberra Day |
| 13 | Sat 17 Apr 2027 to Mon 26 Apr 2027 | Mon 19 Apr 2027, Tue 20 Apr 2027, Wed 21 Apr 2027, Thu 22 Apr 2027, Fri 23 Apr 2027 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Anzac Day (Monday) |
| 14 | Sat 22 May 2027 to Mon 31 May 2027 | Mon 24 May 2027, Tue 25 May 2027, Wed 26 May 2027, Thu 27 May 2027, Fri 28 May 2027 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Reconciliation Day |
| 15 | Sat 5 Jun 2027 to Mon 14 Jun 2027 | Mon 7 Jun 2027, Tue 8 Jun 2027, Wed 9 Jun 2027, Thu 10 Jun 2027, Fri 11 Jun 2027 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | King's Birthday |
| 16 | Sat 25 Sep 2027 to Mon 4 Oct 2027 | Mon 27 Sep 2027, Tue 28 Sep 2027, Wed 29 Sep 2027, Thu 30 Sep 2027, Fri 1 Oct 2027 | 5 | 10 | 2.0× | Labour Day |
| 17 | Tue 26 Jan 2027 to Sun 31 Jan 2027 | Wed 27 Jan 2027, Thu 28 Jan 2027, Fri 29 Jan 2027 | 3 | 6 | 2.0× | Australia Day |
| 18 | Sat 16 Jan 2027 to Tue 26 Jan 2027 | Mon 18 Jan 2027, Tue 19 Jan 2027, Wed 20 Jan 2027, Thu 21 Jan 2027, Fri 22 Jan 2027, Mon 25 Jan 2027 | 6 | 11 | 1.8× | Australia Day |
| 19 | Sat 16 Jan 2027 to Sun 31 Jan 2027 | Mon 18 Jan 2027, Tue 19 Jan 2027, Wed 20 Jan 2027, Thu 21 Jan 2027, Fri 22 Jan 2027, Mon 25 Jan 2027, Wed 27 Jan 2027, Thu 28 Jan 2027, Fri 29 Jan 2027 | 9 | 16 | 1.8× | Australia Day |
| 20 | Sat 23 Jan 2027 to Sun 7 Feb 2027 | Mon 25 Jan 2027, Wed 27 Jan 2027, Thu 28 Jan 2027, Fri 29 Jan 2027, Mon 1 Feb 2027, Tue 2 Feb 2027, Wed 3 Feb 2027, Thu 4 Feb 2027, Fri 5 Feb 2027 | 9 | 16 | 1.8× | Australia Day |
ACT 2027 public-school terms were checked against the ACT Education Directorate's 2026–2030 calendar. School-holiday dates apply to government schools and can differ for non-government schools.
How to plan your Australian Capital Territory leave
The four strategies in the calculator suit different goals. Maximum Days Off chases raw efficiency; Longest Break stacks leave into one big trip; Balanced Year spreads breaks across the seasons; and Long Weekends turns single leave days into frequent three- and four-day weekends. Parents can switch on the school-holidays option to line breaks up with Australian Capital Territory school terms.
Related guides
By holiday: Easter · Christmas & New Year · King's Birthday · Anzac Day · Labour Day · Australia Day.
Other states: New South Wales · Victoria · Queensland · Western Australia · South Australia · Tasmania · Northern Territory.
Start with the complete strategy guide.