3 April 2026
Ekka Public Holiday 2026: Date, Who Gets It & Leave Tips
The Brisbane Ekka public holiday falls on Wednesday 12 August 2026 — a Brisbane-only day off. See who gets it, the People's Day date, and how to turn it into a longer break.
The Brisbane Ekka public holiday in 2026 falls on Wednesday 12 August. Officially it is the Royal Queensland Show holiday — "People's Day" at the Ekka — but almost everyone in Brisbane just calls it the Ekka holiday.
When is the Ekka public holiday in 2026?
The 2026 Ekka public holiday is Wednesday 12 August 2026. It always lands on the Wednesday of the Royal Queensland Show — People's Day, the day the show traditionally throws its gates open to the wider public. The date shifts each year with the show calendar: in 2027 it falls on Wednesday 11 August.
Who gets the Ekka holiday off?
The Ekka public holiday is a local holiday, not a Queensland-wide one. The Wednesday date applies to the City of Brisbane council area. Several surrounding south-east Queensland councils take the same Royal Queensland Show holiday on the Monday instead, and the rest of the state runs its own regional show days entirely.
| Where you work | 2026 show public holiday |
|---|---|
| City of Brisbane | Wednesday 12 August |
| Logan, Moreton Bay, Redland & many SE Queensland councils | Monday 10 August |
| Regional Queensland (Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast and more) | Its own local show day |
If you work in Brisbane, Wednesday 12 August is a genuine paid public holiday. If you work elsewhere, your council sets the local show day — see our QLD show holidays guide for every region, and Queensland public holidays for the state-wide dates.
Turn the Wednesday into a longer break
A mid-week public holiday is one of the most efficient leave dates on the calendar. From Brisbane's Wednesday 12 August, the high-value plays are:
- 2 leave days → 5 days off: take Thursday 13 and Friday 14 (or Monday 10 and Tuesday 11) and the weekend does the rest.
- 4 leave days → 9 days off: take Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Friday, and the Ekka holiday bridges the whole stretch from Saturday 8 to Sunday 16 August.
Run your own dates through the Leave Planner to see the exact break for your roster.
What's open on Ekka day?
As a Brisbane public holiday, standard public-holiday trading applies: supermarkets, petrol stations, hospitals and most hospitality venues open (often with a public-holiday surcharge), while banks, government offices and many businesses close. If you are rostered on, public-holiday penalty rates generally apply under your award or agreement.
Frequently asked questions
What day is the Ekka public holiday in 2026?
In Brisbane, the Ekka public holiday is Wednesday 12 August 2026 — People's Day at the Royal Queensland Show. Surrounding councils such as Logan, Moreton Bay and Redland observe the show holiday on Monday 10 August instead.
Is the Ekka holiday a state-wide Queensland public holiday?
No. It is a local public holiday, not a Queensland-wide one. Only the City of Brisbane gets the Wednesday date; the rest of the state observes its own regional show days across the year.
Will the Ekka be on in 2026?
Yes. The Royal Queensland Show runs in August 2026 at the Brisbane Showgrounds, with People's Day — the public holiday for Brisbane — on Wednesday 12 August.
Do I get paid extra for working on the Ekka holiday?
If the public holiday applies where you work and you are rostered that day, public-holiday penalty rates usually apply under your award or enterprise agreement. Check your specific instrument, as casual and part-day rules vary.