QUEENSLAND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Public Holiday information for Queensland residents and visitors.
COVID-19 UPDATES
22/5/2020 – Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced that the EKKA public holiday has moved from Wednesday, 12 August to Friday, 14 August in 2020 for the Brisbane council region. This applies to 2020 only. Note that local councils outside of Brisbane will be able to make their own decision as to whether they move their public holiday also. It is worth noting that currently the regions outside of Brisbane have their holiday on Monday 10 August, which effectively creates a long weekend already.We will update the regional dates if these change.
15/5/2020 – Central Highlands Regional Council has announced that public holidays for agricultural shows in Emerald, Springsure, Capella and Comet will remain the same despite the shows being cancelled.
Public holidays should proceed without impact however the question is whether show holidays will still proceed if the show is cancelled. There are currently bans in place on large gatherings due to the Coronavirus.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed it has become clearer that most show holidays will still be observed despite the actual shows being cancelled. In some instances the date of the holiday may change, as has happened with the Brisbane EKKA holiday.
Each local council may make their own decision on whether to proceed with a show holiday, or whether it may possibly be rescheduled.
In most cases we believe the show holiday will go ahead regardless of the show being cancelled. There are some positives in still observing the show holiday as far as managing the COVID-19 outbreak in that a public holiday may create additional financial benefits in the community.
Note: Regional Holidays for 2020 were last edited on 22/5/2020.
To view regional show and other Queensland public holiday dates, use the regional filter below.
INCLUDE REGIONAL HOLIDAYS
Statewide Public Holidays QLD 2020
| Holiday | Date | Holiday Type | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Wednesday, 1 January 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Australia Day | Sunday, 26 January 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Australia Day Holiday | Monday, 27 January 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Good Friday | Friday, 10 April 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Easter Saturday | Saturday, 11 April 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, 12 April 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Easter Monday | Monday, 13 April 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| ANZAC Day | Saturday, 25 April 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Labour Day | Monday, 4 May 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) | Friday, 14 August 2020 | Show | Brisbane |
| Queen's Birthday | Monday, 5 October 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Christmas Eve (part day - 6pm til midnight) | Thursday, 24 December 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Christmas Day | Friday, 25 December 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Boxing Day* | Saturday, 26 December 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
| Boxing Day Holiday | Monday, 28 December 2020 | Public | Qld Wide |
Notes:
*In 2020, Australia Day falls on a Sunday. As a result the public holiday for Australia Day is on Monday, 27 January 2020. In 2020, Boxing Day falls on a Saturday. As a result there is an additional day public holiday for Boxing Day on Monday, 28 December 2020.
From 2019, the Holidays Act 1983 allows for a part-day public holiday from 6pm to midnight on Christmas Eve (24th of December).
The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) Public Holiday is for Brisbane only. Select your region to view local Ekka public holiday dates.
Additional Information
In Queensland, Public Holidays can basically be divided into three groups:
Public Holidays – Statewide
Show Holidays
Other Holidays
Statewide
These are the holidays that we all know and love such as Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Queen’s Birthday, Labour Day and so on. These holidays are generally held on the same day throughout Queensland.
Show Holidays
Most regions of Queensland have access to some form of Show Holiday. These types of public holiday are much less regimented and the designated day off can change between regions for the same show. The Ekka Holiday (Royal Queensland Show) is a good example where Brisbane City have a different day off to the Gold Coast and even the Moreton Region. This allows the show organisers to avoid huge bottlenecks with everyone trying to attend the show on the same day.
There are a large number of smaller local show holidays throughout various regions of Qld.
Other Holidays
From time to time there are one off holidays added to our holiday calendar in special circumstances. For example, in 2016 there was a special Christmas Day public holiday on the 27th December because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday.