Queensland has a public holiday calendar that differs from other Australian states in several important ways. The Queen’s Birthday is observed in October rather than June, the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) creates a unique Brisbane-area holiday, and Easter Saturday has its own specific rules. For employers, understanding these differences is essential to staying compliant with the Fair Work Act and avoiding costly payroll mistakes.

This guide covers every Queensland public holiday for 2026, explains how they affect your business, and provides practical advice for managing leave and rosters around these dates.

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 Queensland Public Holidays in 2026

Queensland observes all national public holidays plus several state-specific days. Here is the complete list:

Date	Holiday	National or State
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	State
Sunday 5 April	Easter Sunday	State
Monday 6 April	Easter Monday	National
Saturday 25 April	Anzac Day	National
Wednesday 12 August (approx.)	Royal Queensland Show	State (Brisbane area only)
Monday 26 October	Queen’s Birthday	State (QLD observes in October)
Thursday 25 December	Christmas Day	National
Friday 26 December	Boxing Day	National

Note on Royal Queensland Show date: The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) holiday is held on the Wednesday of the Ekka show period, typically in mid-August. The exact 2026 date will be confirmed by the Queensland Government once the show schedule is finalised. In 2025, it fell on Wednesday 13 August.

Queensland’s Unique Public Holidays

Queen’s Birthday in October

One of the most significant differences for Queensland employers is the timing of the Queen’s Birthday holiday. While most other states observe this holiday in June, Queensland celebrates it on the last Monday of October.

In 2026, the Queen’s Birthday in Queensland falls on Monday 26 October.

This means:

If you manage employees across multiple states, your Queensland team has a public holiday in October while your NSW or Victorian teams do not.
Conversely, your Queensland team does not get a public holiday in June when other states observe the Queen’s Birthday.
Your payroll and leave management systems need to account for this state-specific date.

Royal Queensland Show (Ekka)

The Royal Queensland Show, commonly known as the Ekka, is Brisbane’s major annual agricultural exhibition. The associated public holiday applies only to the Brisbane area, not to all of Queensland.

Key details:

Who gets it: Employees whose principal place of work is within the Brisbane City Council area, or in certain surrounding local government areas as gazetted by the Queensland Government.
Regional alternatives: Employees in regional Queensland do not get the Ekka holiday. Instead, many regional areas observe a local show holiday on a date that corresponds to their local agricultural show. Each local government area can gazette its own show holiday.
Practical impact: If your business has offices in both Brisbane and regional Queensland, different employees may have different show holiday dates.

Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday

Queensland observes both Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday as public holidays, in addition to Good Friday and Easter Monday. This creates a four-day public holiday weekend, which affects penalty rate calculations for businesses operating over the Easter period.

Substitute Days: When Holidays Fall on Weekends

When public holidays fall on weekends in Queensland, the following rules generally apply:

Anzac Day on a Saturday (2026): Anzac Day does not attract a substitute public holiday when it falls on a Saturday in Queensland. However, employees who would normally work on a Saturday are still entitled to public holiday conditions for that day.
Christmas Day or Boxing Day on a weekend: Standard substitute day rules apply. If Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday is the substitute. If Boxing Day also falls on a Saturday (or Sunday), the next available weekday becomes the substitute.
New Year’s Day or Australia Day on a weekend: The following Monday typically becomes the substitute public holiday.

For 2026, the main substitute day consideration is Anzac Day on Saturday 25 April — no substitute day applies, but Saturday workers may still attract public holiday penalty rates.

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Penalty Rates on Public Holidays in Queensland

Employees who work on a public holiday in Queensland are entitled to penalty rates under their applicable modern award or enterprise agreement. The rates are consistent with national award standards:

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)

Common Award Examples

Award	Penalty Rate (Public Holiday)
General Retail Industry Award	225% (full-time/part-time), 250% (casual)
Hospitality Industry (General) Award	225% (full-time/part-time), 250% (casual)
Clerks — Private Sector Award	250% (full-time/part-time), 275% (casual)
Manufacturing and Associated Industries Award	250% (full-time/part-time)

Important: Penalty rates apply equally to state-specific public holidays (Ekka, Queen’s Birthday in October) and national public holidays. There is no reduced rate for state holidays.

Easter Penalty Rates

With four consecutive public holidays over Easter in Queensland (Friday to Monday), employers in hospitality, retail, and healthcare need to budget carefully. Four days of penalty rates for rostered staff can have a significant impact on payroll costs. Plan your Easter rosters early and consider whether reduced trading hours might be appropriate for your business.

Can You Require Employees to Work on Public Holidays?

Under Section 114 of the Fair Work Act 2009, employees are entitled to be absent from work on a public holiday. Employers can request employees to work, but only if the request is reasonable.

Reasonableness Factors

The Fair Work Act considers:

The nature of the workplace: Hospitality, healthcare, emergency services, and retail commonly operate on public holidays.
The employee’s role: Is their specific role needed for operations?
Personal circumstances: Family responsibilities, cultural or religious significance, and caring obligations.
Compensation offered: Penalty rates and other benefits strengthen the reasonableness of the request.
Notice given: Providing adequate advance notice is essential.
Employee preferences: Whether the employee has previously expressed willingness or reluctance to work public holidays.

An employee can refuse a request to work on a public holiday if their refusal is reasonable. The same factors apply when assessing the reasonableness of a refusal.

Best Practice for Queensland Employers

At the start of each year, publish a list of all public holidays your business will operate on.
For Brisbane-based staff, confirm the Ekka holiday date as soon as it is gazetted.
For regional staff, confirm their local show holiday date.
Discuss preferences with employees early and document agreements.
Roster public holiday shifts fairly, rotating the obligation across the team where possible.

Employer Obligations: Summary

Queensland employers must:

Pay absent employees: 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: Any employee who works on a public holiday must receive the applicable penalty rate under their award or agreement.
Understand regional show holidays: The Ekka applies to Brisbane; regional areas have their own show holidays.
Apply the October Queen’s Birthday: Do not accidentally apply the June Queen’s Birthday date used by other states.
Keep accurate records: Timesheets, payslips, and rosters must reflect public holiday work and correct penalty payments.
Respect reasonable refusals: Employees who reasonably refuse to work on a public holiday must not be penalised or disadvantaged.

Planning Tips for Queensland Employers in 2026

The Easter Long Weekend

The four-day Easter weekend (3–6 April) is one of the most operationally challenging periods for Queensland businesses. Many employees will also request annual leave on either side of the weekend to extend their break.

Tips:

Set a leave request deadline at least six weeks before Easter.
Ensure rosters are published with adequate notice.
Budget for four days of penalty rates if your business trades over the entire period.

Ekka Week (August)

The Ekka holiday affects Brisbane employers specifically. Consider:

If you operate across Brisbane and regional Queensland, clarify which employees are entitled to the Ekka day versus a local show holiday.
The Ekka typically falls mid-week (Wednesday), which may disrupt project timelines and meeting schedules.
Some employees may request leave on the Thursday and Friday following the Ekka to create an extended break.

October Queen’s Birthday

The late October timing of the Queen’s Birthday in Queensland can catch employers off guard, especially those transitioning from other states.

Update your payroll calendar to reflect the October date, not the June date.
Communicate the correct date to employees early in the year.
If you use automated leave management software, ensure it is configured for Queensland-specific holiday dates.

Christmas and New Year Period

Christmas Day (Thursday) and Boxing Day (Friday) in 2026 create a natural four-day weekend. Many businesses implement a shutdown period between Christmas and New Year. If you plan to do this:

Notify employees in writing at least 28 days before the shutdown (or as required by your award).
Confirm whether employees have sufficient annual leave to cover the shutdown period.
Consider the impact on casual and part-time employees who may not have leave accrued.