Varied Holidays and Trading Rules for Anzac Day 2026

Australians will mark the 111th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings on Saturday, April 25, 2026, as Anzac Day falls on a weekend, creating a patchwork of public holidays and business restrictions across the nation's states and territories. While the day is observed nationwide with dawn services and marches, only residents in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and Western Australia will receive an additional public holiday on Monday, April 27, granting them a four-day weekend from Friday evening.

The variation arises from differing state policies on substitute holidays when Anzac Day lands on a Saturday. In NSW, the Minns government has introduced a two-year trial providing the extra day, a shift from past practices, with officials planning a review of its economic and social effects after 2027. The ACT aligned with this approach following pressure from unions like the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association, which argued for recognition of the Saturday as a holiday. Western Australia maintains its longstanding rule of granting a substitute day for weekend observances. In contrast, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern...