Public Holidays in the Northern Territory 2026: Dates and Employer Guide

The Northern Territory has a distinctive public holiday calendar that sets it apart from every other Australian state and territory. With May Day instead of Labour Day, the uniquely Northern Territory Picnic Day in August, and regional Show Days that vary depending on which town your employees work in, NT employers face a layered set of obligations that require careful planning.

This guide covers every Northern Territory public holiday for 2026, explains the regional variations, and walks through employer obligations so you can stay compliant and keep your team informed.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman or consult an employment lawyer for guidance specific to your organisation.

Full List of Northern Territory Public Holidays in 2026

The Northern Territory observes all national public holidays plus several territory-specific days. Here is the complete list:

Date	Holiday	National or Territory
Thursday 1 January	New Year’s Day	National
Monday 26 January	Australia Day	National
Friday 3 April	Good Friday	National
Saturday 4 April	Easter Saturday	National
Monday 6 April	Easter Monday	National
Saturday 25 April	Anzac Day	National
Monday 4 May	May Day	Territory
Monday 8 June	Queen’s Birthday	Territory
Monday 3 August	Picnic Day	Territory
Thursday 25 December	Christmas Day	National
Friday 26 December	Boxing Day	National

In addition to these territory-wide holidays, regional Show Days are observed as public holidays in specific localities across the NT. These are covered in detail below.

The Northern Territory’s Unique Public Holidays

May Day

While most Australian states observe Labour Day at various times throughout the year, the Northern Territory celebrates May Day on the first Monday in May. In 2026, this falls on Monday 4 May.

May Day recognises the contributions of workers and the labour movement. It aligns with the international workers’ day tradition observed on 1 May in many countries around the world. For employers, May Day carries exactly the same entitlements and penalty rate obligations as any other public holiday — the only difference is the name and timing.

Picnic Day

Picnic Day is the Northern Territory’s most distinctive public holiday and is unique to the NT — no other state or territory in Australia observes it. It falls on the first Monday in August each year, which in 2026 is Monday 3 August.

The holiday originated in the early days of the Darwin railway and was traditionally a day for workers and families to take a train trip and enjoy a picnic. Today, it remains a popular day for outdoor activities, community events, and local gatherings across the Territory.

Key points for employers:

• Picnic Day is a gazetted public holiday across the entire Northern Territory.
• It carries the same penalty rate and entitlement obligations as any other public holiday.
• Employers with staff in other states should note that their NT-based employees will have this additional day off in August, while colleagues in other jurisdictions will not.

Regional Show Days

The Northern Territory observes local Show Days as public holidays in specific regions. These are tied to local agricultural shows and only apply to employees whose principal place of work falls within the relevant area. The key Show Days are:

Show Day	Typical Timing	Area of Observance
Alice Springs Show	First Friday in July	Alice Springs and surrounds
Tennant Creek Show	Second Friday in July	Tennant Creek and surrounds
Katherine Show	Third Friday in July	Katherine and surrounds
Darwin Show (Royal Darwin Show)	Fourth Friday in July	Darwin and surrounds

Note: The exact dates for Show Days in 2026 are confirmed by the NT Government each year. The dates above reflect the typical scheduling pattern, but employers should check the Northern Territory Government gazette for confirmed dates.

What this means for employers: If your business operates across multiple NT locations, different employees may be entitled to different Show Day public holidays depending on where they work. A Darwin-based employee observes the Darwin Show Day, while an Alice Springs-based employee observes the Alice Springs Show Day. You cannot substitute one for the other without an agreement with the employee.

Substitute Days: When Holidays Fall on Weekends

When a public holiday falls on a weekend in the Northern Territory, the following substitute day rules generally apply:

• Anzac Day on a Saturday (2026): Anzac Day falls on Saturday 25 April in 2026. In the Northern Territory, when Anzac Day falls on a Saturday, there is no automatic substitute public holiday on the following Monday. However, employees who would ordinarily work on that Saturday are still entitled to public holiday provisions.
• Christmas Day or Boxing Day on a weekend: When Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, substitute public holidays are typically declared on the following Monday and/or Tuesday. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Thursday and Boxing Day on a Friday, so no substitute days are required.
• New Year’s Day on a weekend: In 2026, New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday, so no substitute day applies.

For any year where weekend public holidays arise, always check the Northern Territory Government gazette or the Fair Work Ombudsman website for confirmed substitute dates. The NT may gazette additional substitute days at its discretion.

Penalty Rates on Public Holidays in the Northern Territory

Employees who work on a public holiday in the Northern Territory are entitled to penalty rates under their applicable modern award or enterprise agreement. Typical rates include:

Employment Type	Common Penalty Rate
Full-time	200%–250% of ordinary rate
Part-time	200%–250% of ordinary rate
Casual	250%–275% of ordinary rate (inclusive of casual loading)

Key Award Examples

• Hospitality Industry (General) Award: 225% for full-time/part-time, 250% for casuals
• General Retail Industry Award: 225% for full-time/part-time, 250% for casuals
• Health Professionals and Support Services Award: 250% for full-time/part-time

Important: These penalty rates apply to territory-specific public holidays (May Day, Picnic Day, Show Days) in exactly the same way as they apply to national public holidays. There is no distinction in penalty rate obligations between national and territory holidays. Regional Show Days also attract full public holiday penalty rates for employees in the applicable area.

Can You Require Employees to Work on Public Holidays?

Under the Fair Work Act 2009, employers can request employees to work on a public holiday, but the request must be reasonable. Employees can refuse if their refusal is also reasonable.

Factors That Determine Reasonableness

The Fair Work Act lists several factors:

• Nature of the business: Tourism operators, hospitality venues, and essential services in the NT routinely operate on public holidays.
• Employee’s role: Is their presence essential to operations?
• Personal circumstances: Family commitments, religious observance, or caring responsibilities.
• Compensation: Whether penalty rates or other benefits are being offered.
• Notice provided: Adequate notice strengthens the case for reasonableness.
• Past patterns: Has the employee previously agreed to work public holidays?

Practical Recommendations

1. Identify early in the year which public holidays your business will operate on.
2. Discuss public holiday rosters with employees well in advance.
3. Document preferences and agreements in writing.
4. Ensure all penalty rates and entitlements are clearly communicated.
5. Be flexible where possible — forcing unwilling employees to work on public holidays creates morale and compliance risks.

Employer Obligations: Summary

Northern Territory employers must:

• Pay employees for public holiday absences: Full-time and part-time employees who would ordinarily work on a public holiday are entitled to their ordinary pay for that day.
• Pay correct penalty rates: Employees who work on a public holiday must receive the applicable penalty rate under their award or agreement.
• Keep accurate records: Timesheets, payslips, and rosters must clearly reflect public holiday work and payments.
• Understand regional Show Day variations: Show Day obligations differ depending on which NT locality each employee works in.
• Track territory-specific holidays: May Day and Picnic Day have no equivalent in most other states, so payroll systems must be configured to recognise these days.
• Respect reasonable refusals: Do not penalise employees who reasonably refuse to work on public holidays.

Planning Tips for Northern Territory Employers in 2026

The Easter Long Weekend

Easter 2026 runs from Good Friday (3 April) through Easter Monday (6 April), creating a four-day break. Many employees will request annual leave on either side of this period to extend it further. Plan rosters and staffing levels well ahead of time, particularly if your business operates in tourism or hospitality — two of the NT’s largest industries.

May Day and Picnic Day

These two territory-specific holidays are the ones most likely to catch employers off guard, especially those who have relocated from other states or are managing national teams.

• May Day (4 May): Falls on a Monday, creating a long weekend in early May. Budget for penalty rates if your business operates on this day.
• Picnic Day (3 August): Falls on a Monday, creating another long weekend in the middle of winter (dry season in the NT). This is peak tourist season in the Top End, so hospitality and tourism employers should plan staffing and penalty rate costs accordingly.

Managing Show Day Variations

If you have employees across multiple NT locations, you need to track up to four different Show Day dates:

1. Confirm each employee’s principal place of work.
2. Check the NT Government gazette for the confirmed Show Day date for each relevant locality.
3. Update your leave management system or calendar to reflect the correct Show Day for each location.
4. Communicate the applicable Show Day date to employees at each location early in the year.

Failing to recognise the correct Show Day for each locality can result in underpayments or employees missing their entitled day off.

Managing Bridge Days

Northern Territory employees will often request annual leave to create extended breaks around public holidays. Common bridge day requests in 2026:

• The Tuesday after Easter Monday (7 April) to create a five-day break
• The Friday after May Day (8 May) — though May Day already falls on a Monday, some employees may request the preceding Friday (1 May) for a four-day weekend
• The Friday after Picnic Day (7 August) to extend the long weekend
• The week between Christmas and New Year

Set clear policies and deadlines for leave requests around these periods. A first-come, first-served approach or a rotating roster helps maintain fairness across the team.

Cross-State Workforce Considerations

If your business operates across multiple states and territories, remember that Northern Territory public holidays differ significantly from those in other jurisdictions. For example:

• The NT observes May Day instead of Labour Day. No other mainland state uses this name or observes it on the same date.
• Picnic Day in August is entirely unique to the NT — no other state or territory has an equivalent.
• Regional Show Days operate differently in the NT compared to Queensland’s show holidays or Victoria’s Melbourne Cup Day arrangements.
• The NT observes Queen’s Birthday in June, aligning with NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and the ACT, but differing from Queensland (October) and Western Australia (September).
• The NT does not observe Easter Sunday as a public holiday, unlike Victoria, the ACT, Queensland, and New South Wales.

Ensure your leave management system can handle territory-specific public holiday calendars to avoid underpayments or incorrect leave deductions. This is particularly important for businesses with employees who split their time between NT and interstate offices.

Key Takeaways for Northern Territory Employers

1. The Northern Territory observes 11 territory-wide public holidays in 2026, plus regional Show Days that vary by locality.
2. May Day (first Monday in May) replaces Labour Day in the NT and carries identical entitlements.
3. Picnic Day (first Monday in August) is unique to the Northern Territory and falls during peak dry season — plan for tourism and hospitality demand.
4. Regional Show Days in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, and Darwin each apply only to employees working in that locality. Check the NT Government gazette for confirmed dates.
5. Anzac Day falls on a Saturday in 2026 with no automatic substitute day in the NT.
6. Penalty rates on territory-specific holidays (including Show Days) are the same as national holidays under most awards.
7. Plan early for Easter, May Day, Picnic Day, and Show Day periods to avoid roster shortfalls and compliance issues.

Staying on top of the Northern Territory’s public holiday calendar is essential for compliance and employee satisfaction. With the added complexity of regional Show Days, NT employers benefit from having systems in place that can track location-specific entitlements throughout the year.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific guidance on your obligations, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman or consult a qualified employment lawyer.