AFL Grand Final Public Holiday in Victoria
Victoria's Grand Final public holiday — the Friday before the AFL Grand Final — was most recently held on Friday 25 September 2026, a paid day off for most Victorian employees. It is a full state-wide public holiday in Victoria only, and its date moves each year with the AFL finals fixture, so the next one is confirmed when the AFL releases its schedule.
AFL Grand Final Eve 2026 by state
History
The Friday before the AFL Grand Final is one of the newest holidays on the Australian calendar, and one of the most unusual in how it is defined. Rather than being fixed to a calendar date, the gazetted holiday is pinned to the AFL fixture, so the Victorian Government confirms each year's date only after the AFL settles its finals schedule. That is why Business Victoria lists future years as 'subject to AFL schedule' rather than giving a date.
How Australians celebrate
The day is built around the Grand Final Parade, when players from the two competing clubs are paraded through Melbourne for supporters of both sides. Away from the parade route it works like any well-placed Friday off: kick-to-kick in the park, pubs filling from lunchtime, and preparations for the next day's game at the MCG. Because the holiday always lands on a Friday, most Victorians treat it as the start of a three-day weekend rather than a single day off.
AFL Grand Final Eve in other years
Plan around Grand Final Eve
Frequently asked questions
Do I get a day off for AFL Grand Final Eve?
AFL Grand Final Eve is a gazetted public holiday in VIC. Most workers are entitled to a day off with pay. If you work on the day, penalty rates typically apply as per your award or enterprise agreement.
When was the most recent AFL Grand Final public holiday?
The most recent AFL Grand Final public holiday was Friday 25 September 2026. Victoria gazettes it as the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, so the next one is only confirmed once the AFL releases its finals schedule.
Has the 2027 Grand Final public holiday date been announced?
Not yet. Because the holiday is defined as the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, the 2027 date is only fixed once the AFL releases that season's finals schedule and the Victorian Government publishes the year's public-holiday list. Business Victoria currently lists it as subject to the AFL schedule and notes it typically falls on the last Friday in September. This page updates from the official Victorian dates as soon as they are published.
Is Grand Final Eve a public holiday in Victoria?
Yes. The Friday before the AFL Grand Final is a full state-wide public holiday in Victoria, listed on the Victorian Government's official Business Victoria public-holidays calendar. It is not a part-day or restricted-sector holiday, and it is not observed anywhere else in Australia.
Who gets the Grand Final Eve public holiday?
Everyone working in Victoria, not just football fans or one industry. Most Victorian employees are entitled to the day off with pay, and anyone rostered on is generally entitled to public-holiday penalty rates under their award or enterprise agreement. Workers in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT work an ordinary Friday.
Does the Grand Final public holiday fall on the same date every year?
No. It is a moveable holiday tied to the AFL fixture. The gazetted name is literally 'Friday before the AFL Grand Final', so the holiday moves whenever the Grand Final moves. Business Victoria notes it typically lands on the last Friday in September, but it only becomes a firm date once the AFL releases that season's finals schedule and the Victorian Government publishes the year's public-holiday list.
Does Grand Final Eve create a long weekend in Victoria?
Yes. Because the holiday always falls on a Friday, Victorians get an automatic three-day weekend with no annual leave required. Booking the following Monday off stretches it to a four-day break for a single leave day.
Is the AFL Grand Final itself a public holiday?
No. The public holiday is the Friday before the Grand Final, not Grand Final day. The match is normally played the next day, a Saturday, which is an ordinary weekend day everywhere in Australia, including Victoria.
Related tools
Picked for Victoria.
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