Anzac Day 2026: Dates, What's Open & Long Weekend Potential

Anzac Day 2026 falls on Saturday 25 April. Because the 25th is a Saturday, an observed public holiday applies on Monday 27 April — giving all Australian workers a long weekend without needing to spend a day of leave.

The observed holiday: how it works

Anzac Day is always commemorated on 25 April, regardless of what day it falls on. The dawn services, marches, and commemorations happen on the Saturday itself. The public holiday — the weekday off work — is observed on the Monday when the 25th falls on a weekend.

In 2026, the data confirms both the Saturday date (25 April) and the observed Monday (27 April) apply to all eight states and territories. This is one of the cleaner Anzac Day setups: the weekend commemorations sit naturally on the Saturday, and the observed weekday holiday follows immediately on Monday.

The long weekend

The automatic long weekend runs from Saturday 25 April to Monday 27 April. No leave required. That's a 3-day weekend for everyone in Australia.

To extend it further, the obvious option is to take Tuesday 28 April off — just one leave day turns the long weekend into a 4-day break from Saturday to Tuesday. Or take the full week (Tuesday 28 April to Friday 1 May — 4 leave days) for 9 days off. Use the Leave Planner to model the combinations for your state.

Check Long Weekends to see how Anzac Day 2026 compares to other extended break opportunities across the year.

Dawn services in 2026

Dawn services will be held at their usual times on Saturday 25 April — not on the observed Monday. This is important to note: the commemorations happen on Anzac Day itself, not on the public holiday substitute.

Services are held at war memorials, cenotaphs, and RSL clubs across every state and territory. The major services in capital cities typically begin between 5:30am and 6:00am. Regional services often start slightly earlier. Check your local RSL or council website closer to the date for exact times and locations.

The national ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra is broadcast live on ABC and usually begins at 5:30am. The Gallipoli dawn service (Turkey) is also broadcast for Australians who want to observe it from home.

What's open and closed on Monday 27 April

The observed public holiday on Monday 27 April means standard public holiday trading rules apply for that day:

Closed: Banks, government offices, most professional services, many retail shops (particularly in ACT and SA, which have stricter public holiday trading restrictions).
Open: Supermarkets (often with reduced hours), petrol stations, hospitals and emergency services, most hospitality venues.
RSL clubs: Open and busy — many run commemorative programs and two-up games throughout the day.
Two-up: Two-up (a traditional gambling game) is legally permitted in licensed venues on Anzac Day in most states. It's one of the few days it's allowed at all.

Saturday 25 April itself is not a public holiday in the trading restrictions sense — shops that normally open on Saturdays will generally be open, though some may choose to observe reduced hours out of respect.

State-by-state notes

The observed Monday public holiday (27 April) applies in every state and territory in 2026. There are no state-specific variations to the Anzac Day arrangement this year — all workers get the same Monday off.

For the full list of public holidays in your state, including all observed dates, visit the Public Holidays page and select your state or territory.

The significance of the date

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915, when Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in what is now Turkey. It has been observed as a day of remembrance since 1916, and became a national public holiday in Australia in 1927.

The day is observed with particular solemnity — dawn services, marches, and moments of silence. It's one of the few Australian public holidays that retains a strong cultural weight beyond the long weekend it provides.