QLD Show Holidays 2026: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns & More

Queensland has no single show holiday. The Queensland Government gazettes a show day for each council area, so the 2026 date depends entirely on which local government area you work in. Brisbane took Wednesday 12 August; Townsville took Monday 6 July; Cairns took Friday 17 July.

The 2026 dates by council area

These are the gazetted 2026 show public holidays for the largest districts, with the council area each one covers. If your town isn't listed, search it in the show holidays finder, which carries every published locality.

Some councils appear twice. The former Caloundra City area takes the Maleny Annual Show on Friday 29 May rather than the Nambour date, and Toowoomba's three excluded towns take the Royal Queensland Show holiday in August instead of the March one.

The Ekka is Brisbane only, and August has two show Mondays

The Ekka is the show holiday most people search for, and the one most often assumed to be statewide. It isn't. Wednesday 12 August 2026 was a public holiday in the City of Brisbane and nowhere else.

Fifteen other council areas took the Royal Queensland Show holiday two days earlier, on Monday 10 August, and Goondiwindi had its Texas Show holiday the same Monday. Everyone else was at work on both days, waiting for their own district's date.

Why Queensland does it this way

Queensland ties a public holiday to each district's annual agricultural show, a practice no other state runs at this scale. The dates are gazetted by locality, so they move every year with the show calendar.

For payroll that means the same Friday can be a penalty-rate day in one council area and a normal shift in the next. Check the locality wording, not just the town name, before you set a roster.

The last show holidays of 2026

The major centres have all had their day. What remains is regional: Noosa and Quilpie both fall on Friday 11 September, Torres Shire and the Torres Strait Islands on Friday 18 September, and the Northern Peninsula Area on Friday 25 September.

Collinsville in the Whitsundays closes the year on Tuesday 3 November, the only show holiday left after September.

What's known about 2027

One date is gazetted so far. The Brisbane Ekka holiday moves to Wednesday 11 August 2027, again for the City of Brisbane only. Every other district's 2027 show day is set closer to the time.

1. Check the statewide dates on Queensland public holidays 2027.
2. Search your council in the show holidays finder, which adds each district as it's published.
3. Read the Ekka holiday guide for the mid-week leave plays, then price a break in the Leave Planner.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a public holiday for the Townsville Show?

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Yes, for the City of Townsville. In 2026 it was Monday 6 July, which made it one of the few show days that arrives as a ready-made long weekend. Neighbouring councils work that day.

Is the Ekka public holiday for all of QLD?

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No. Only the City of Brisbane. Fifteen other councils took a Royal Queensland Show holiday on Monday 10 August 2026 instead, and the rest of the state has its own district dates.

Why is Ekka a public holiday?

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Queensland appoints a show holiday for each district's annual agricultural show, and the Ekka is Brisbane's. The tradition dates to the show's role as the year's main agricultural gathering for the district.

What are the Queensland show holiday dates for 2026?

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There are 44 separate dates, starting with Stanthorpe on Friday 30 January and finishing with Collinsville on Tuesday 3 November. The table above covers the largest districts and the council area each date applies to.

When is the Ekka public holiday in 2027?

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Wednesday 11 August 2027, in the City of Brisbane. It's the only Queensland show holiday gazetted for 2027 so far, so treat any other 2027 district date you see as unconfirmed.