Pupil-Free Days QLD 2026: Statewide Dates
All five Queensland statewide pupil-free days for 2026 have passed; the last was 4 September. See the full list, then the confirmed 2027 dates.
Queensland's five statewide pupil-free days for 2026 have all been and gone. The last one was Friday 4 September. Term 4 runs from Tuesday 6 October to Friday 11 December and carries no further statewide date, so the next ones worth putting in the calendar are the 2027 dates below.
The five dates, and where each one sat
Four of the five sat in the school holidays, in the days before a term started. Only Friday 4 September fell inside an ordinary school week, which is why it was the one that caught families out.
| Date | Day | Term |
|---|---|---|
| 22 January | Thursday | Before Term 1 |
| 23 January | Friday | Before Term 1 |
| 16 April | Thursday | Before Term 2 |
| 17 April | Friday | Before Term 2 |
| 4 September | Friday | Term 3 |
The Department of Education lists these as staff professional development days on the 2026 state schools calendar. Parents know them as pupil-free or student-free days: no students on site, staff in for training.
2027 pupil-free days in Queensland
Queensland has published its 2027 student-free days for state schools. Only Friday 3 September falls during a term. The rest sit in the school holidays before students return, so none of them makes a break longer.
| When | 2027 dates | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Before Term 1 | Thursday 21, Friday 22 and Monday 25 January | Already on holiday; Term 1 starts Wednesday 27 January |
| Before Term 2 | Thursday 8 and Friday 9 April | Already on holiday; Term 2 starts Monday 12 April |
| Term 3 | Friday 3 September | A school day with no students on site |
The QLD pupil-free days 2027 guide covers care, school variations and the official source. Queensland school term dates shows the terms around them.
Is there a pupil-free day left in Term 4?
No. The statewide list stops at 4 September, and Term 4 finishes on Friday 11 December without another one. A school can still add a local day of its own, so the only place a late closure will show up is your school's newsletter or parent app.
The Ekka is a public holiday, not a pupil-free day
Brisbane state schools closed on Wednesday 12 August 2026 for the Royal Queensland Show. Several neighbouring councils, including Logan, Moreton Bay and Redland, took their show holiday on Monday 10 August instead. Neither day is on the Department's pupil-free list.
The Ekka public holiday guide covers the Brisbane date, and QLD show holidays by region lists the council-by-council dates across the state.
Not every Queensland school runs the same days
The statewide list is the floor, not the ceiling. Schools have some say in when they complete the professional development hours attached to each date, and regional, rural and remote schools sometimes add a local day for a community event or a logistics problem the rest of the state doesn't have.
Catholic and independent schools aren't bound by the state calendar at all, and often land on different dates entirely. If your children are at two schools, check both.
What to do now
- Read the 2027 pupil-free dates before you book January holiday care.
- Line them up against Queensland's 2027 term dates to see which ones fall in the holidays anyway.
- Check Queensland public holidays for the show day in your own council area.
- Work out the leave for the one term-time date in the Leave Planner.
- Confirm all of it with your school, and ask your care provider whether it opens that day.
Frequently asked questions
Are there any more QLD pupil-free days left in 2026?
No. The last statewide date was Friday 4 September, and the Department published none for Term 4, which ends on 11 December. Only your own school can add a day after that.
When are the QLD pupil-free days in 2027?
21, 22 and 25 January, 8 and 9 April and 3 September 2027, for Queensland state schools. Only Friday 3 September falls during a term; the others are in the school holidays.
What are the statewide pupil-free days for QLD state schools in 2026?
Five days: 22 and 23 January, 16 and 17 April, and 4 September. They cover Queensland state schools, and every one of them has now passed.
When were the Term 1, 2 and 3 pupil-free days in QLD 2026?
22 and 23 January, before students started Term 1 on Tuesday 27 January. Then 16 and 17 April, before Term 2 began on Monday 20 April. The Term 3 date, 4 September, sat mid-term.
Do Brisbane-region schools get an extra pupil-free day for the Ekka?
No. The Ekka closure is a public holiday for everyone in the City of Brisbane, so it is paid and recorded differently from a school-only day. Councils outside Brisbane take their show holiday on their own date.
Are pupil-free days the same at every Queensland school?
In the state system, mostly. A school can add a local day on top of the statewide list, and Catholic and independent schools publish their own calendar. Your school's newsletter is the final word.
Related tools
Picked for Queensland, 2026.
Printable term planner
QLD2026Lay out each school term week by week with space for notes, ready to print on A4.
Printable calendar
QLD2026Print a full year or a single month with public holidays and school terms, or save it as a PDF.
QLD show holiday finder
QLD2026Find the public holiday for your local Queensland show.
Is today a public holiday?
QLDCheck today's public holiday status in every state and territory.
