How to Make the Most of Your Annual Leave in 2027
There’s a particular type of person who opens the work calendar in January, spots a public holiday sitting on a Tuesday and immediately starts working backwards. Monday annual leave. Weekend before it. Suddenly one little leave request has become four days off and you’re sending screenshots to the group chat like you’ve discovered a tax loophole. If you want to make your annual leave go a little further in 2027, we’ve done the calendar maths for you. We do this every year and honestly, there is nothing better than realising one day of annual leave can somehow become four days off.
2027 has some VERY good options too. Easter can become a proper break, there are some perfectly placed public holidays throughout the year, and Christmas is looking surprisingly good once you work out the dates.
Below we’ve mapped out the best leave to take around the national public holidays, plus all the extras depending on your state or territory. Remember, some states are definitely more generous than others!
Assuming you have 20 days of annual leave to work with, you could fit in a realllllly nice holiday and still use the public holiday calendar to give yourself a few extra breaks throughout the year.
Let’s get into the dates before everyone else has the same idea.
Australia wide holidays for 2027
These are the public holidays that apply almost everywhere in the country. Use them well.
New Year’s break
Holiday: Friday 1 January
Take Monday 4 January to Friday 8 January and you’ll get ten days off from Friday 1 January to Sunday 10 January.
5 days of annual leave = 10 days off.
Australia Day weekend
Holiday: Tuesday 26 January
Take Monday 25 January off and you’ll get four days off from Saturday 23 January to Tuesday 26 January.
1 day of annual leave = 4 days off.
Easter
Holidays: Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March
Take Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April and you’ll get ten days off from Friday 26 March to Sunday 4 April.
4 days of annual leave = 10 days off.
Anzac Day
Holiday: Sunday 25 April
This one depends on where you live. NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, the ACT and Northern Territory have a public holiday on Monday 26 April in 2027. Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania do not have a Monday substitute or additional holiday.
If Monday 26 April is a public holiday where you live, take Friday 23 April and you’ll get four days off.
1 day of annual leave = 4 days off.
King’s Birthday
The King’s Birthday falls on Monday 14 June in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Northern Territory.
Take Friday 11 June and you’ll get four days off.
1 day of annual leave = 4 days off.
Queensland celebrates the King’s Birthday on Monday 4 October, while most of Western Australia observes it on Monday 27 September.
Christmas and New Year
Holidays: Christmas Day Saturday 25 December and Boxing Day Sunday 26 December, with additional public holidays on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December.
Take Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December off and you can extend the Christmas break through to the New Year period.
With New Year’s Day 2028 falling on a Saturday and an additional public holiday on Monday 3 January in jurisdictions including Victoria, Queensland and the NT, this can create a 10-day break for only three days of annual leave.
State and territory specific
Now for the extras. These are the statewide or territory-wide public holidays that give you a few more opportunities depending on where you live.
Victoria
Labour Day: Monday 8 March
Take Friday 5 March for a four-day break.
Melbourne Cup Day: Tuesday 2 November
Take Monday 1 November for a four-day break.
Victoria also has the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, but the official 2027 date is still TBC and will be confirmed once the AFL schedule is released.
NSW
Labour Day: Monday 4 October
Take Friday 1 October for a four-day break.
NSW also has the Bank Holiday on Monday 2 August, although this isn’t a general public holiday and only applies to certain banks and financial institutions.
Queensland
Labour Day: Monday 3 May
Take Friday 30 April for a four-day break.
King’s Birthday: Monday 4 October
Take Friday 1 October for a four-day break.
other dates to check if local to you:
Ekka (Brisbane only)
Gold Coast Showday (Gold Coast only)
South Australia
Adelaide Cup Day: Monday 8 March
Take Friday 5 March for a four-day break.
Labour Day: Monday 4 October
Take Friday 1 October for a four-day break.
South Australia also has part-day public holidays from 7pm to midnight on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Western Australia
Labour Day: Monday 1 March
Take Friday 26 February for a four-day break.
Western Australia Day: Monday 7 June
Take Friday 4 June for a four-day break.
King’s Birthday: Monday 27 September for most of WA.
Take Friday 24 September for a four-day break. Some regional areas observe the King’s Birthday on a different date.
Tasmania
Eight Hours Day: Monday 8 March
Take Friday 5 March for a four-day break.
Tasmania also has Easter Tuesday on 30 March, although this generally applies to the Tasmanian Public Service rather than everyone.
ACT
Canberra Day: Monday 8 March
Take Friday 5 March for a four-day break.
Reconciliation Day: Monday 31 May
Take Friday 28 May for a four-day break.
Labour Day: Monday 4 October
Take Friday 1 October for a four-day break.
Northern Territory
May Day: Monday 3 May
Take Friday 30 April for a four-day break.
Picnic Day: Monday 2 August
Take Friday 30 July for a four-day break.
And don’t forget your local public holidays
There can also be extra public holidays depending on exactly where you live, and these are definitely worth checking before you lock in your leave for the year.
Queensland has local show holidays, including the Brisbane Ekka holiday and Gold Coast Show Day, Tasmania has a number of regional show and recreation holidays, parts of Western Australia can observe the King’s Birthday on a different date, and the Northern Territory has regional Show Days.
Some of the 2027 local dates haven’t been officially confirmed yet (from what we saw), so make sure you double check rather than guessing based on previous years, have a quick look at your state or territory government’s public holiday calendar when you’re planning your leave. You might find an extra long weekend sitting there that the rest of Australia doesn’t get (and yes we are jealous of you).
How to plan your leave a little more money smart….
Book early
The most popular dates go fast. Planning ahead gives you better prices on accommodation and transport.
Check the travel maths too
Getting ten days off for four days of annual leave is VERY satisfying, but public holiday weekends can also mean more expensive flights and accommodation. Have a look at the prices around your dates before you book anything because sometimes taking an extra day of leave and travelling slightly earlier or later can actually work out cheaper.
Spread your leave across the year
You don’t have to use every public holiday opportunity just because the maths looks good. A couple of longer breaks mixed in with a few four-day weekends can make your annual leave feel like it lasts so much longer, while still leaving you a few days for the things that inevitably pop up during the year.
Check what applies where you live
We’ve covered the main public holidays here, but local holidays can give you a few extra opportunities depending on where you live. Have a look at your state or territory government calendar before you finalise everything, especially if your area has local show days or regional holidays.
And that is your 2027 annual leave officially mapped out! Save this somewhere you’ll remember it, send it to the group chat and maybeeee get those particularly good leave requests in sooner rather than later.
There is something very satisfying about looking at a ten-day break in your calendar knowing you only used four days of actual leave to get it.
Happy holiday planning!
Got the leave sorted? Let’s talk holiday money.
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A little note before you book your leave: We’ve done our best to make sure all dates in this guide are accurate for 2027, but public holidays can vary depending on your state, territory and even your local area. Always double check your relevant state or territory government website before submitting your leave or booking travel to confirm the dates and what applies to you.
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