Adelaide Cup Day: When Is SA's March Public Holiday?
Adelaide Cup Day is South Australia's second-Monday-in-March public holiday. Get the 2026, 2027 and 2028 dates, who gets the day off, and the long weekend.
Adelaide Cup Day is a South Australian public holiday that falls on the second Monday in March. Unlike states where a local show day only applies to one council area, this one is state-wide — everyone in SA gets the same Monday off.
When is Adelaide Cup Day?
| Year | Adelaide Cup Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday 9 March |
| 2027 | Monday 8 March |
| 2028 | Monday 13 March |
The date moves with the calendar but always lands on the second Monday in March, so it reliably creates a three-day long weekend. These dates are the gazetted South Australian public holidays confirmed by SafeWork SA.
Is Adelaide Cup Day a public holiday across all of SA?
Yes. Adelaide Cup Day applies to the whole of South Australia, not just metropolitan Adelaide — from the city to the Riverland, Eyre Peninsula and the South East, it is the same date for everyone. That is the opposite of Queensland, where each district gets its own show day on a different date; see our QLD show holidays by region guide for that per-council patchwork. In SA there is nothing to look up by town — the second Monday in March covers the state.
Turning Adelaide Cup into a break
Because it is a Monday, Adelaide Cup Day gives you a three-day long weekend for free. Take the surrounding Tuesday to Friday as leave and four annual-leave days buy a nine-day break. Map the exact window with the Leave Planner, and check the rest of the year's SA breaks on the SA long weekends page.
SA's only March public holiday in 2026
In 2026, Adelaide Cup Day is the only South Australian public holiday in March — the only one between Australia Day (Monday 26 January 2026) and the Easter break that starts on Good Friday (Friday 3 April 2026). That isn't true every year: when Easter falls early, as in 2027 (Good Friday lands on 26 March), the Easter holidays share the month with the Cup. If you are counting business days across the first quarter, the Working Days Calculator accounts for every gazetted date, and the South Australia public holidays page lists the full state line-up for the year.
Looking ahead to 2027
Adelaide Cup Day 2027 falls on Monday 8 March, and 2028 on Monday 13 March — still the second Monday in March each year. The South Australia 2027 page has the full state line-up alongside it.
Frequently asked questions
When is Adelaide Cup Day 2026?
Adelaide Cup Day 2026 is Monday 9 March. It is a full public holiday across South Australia.
Is Adelaide Cup Day a public holiday?
Yes. Adelaide Cup Day is a state-wide South Australian public holiday held on the second Monday in March. It is not a public holiday in any other state or territory.
When is Adelaide Cup Day 2027?
Adelaide Cup Day 2027 is Monday 8 March, and in 2028 it falls on Monday 13 March — always the second Monday of the month.
Is Adelaide Cup Day only in Adelaide?
No. Despite the name, it applies to all of South Australia, not just the Adelaide metropolitan area. Regional SA gets the same Monday off.
Are there any other SA public holidays in March?
Not in 2026 — Adelaide Cup Day is that year's only South Australian public holiday in March, and the only one between Australia Day in January and Good Friday at the start of April. In years when Easter falls early, such as 2027, the Easter public holidays also land in late March.
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