New Zealand Public Holidays
New Zealand has 11 national public holidays in 2026, observed across the whole country. Over the years covered here the calendar draws on 11 recurring holidays. 6 sit on the same calendar date every year, while 5 move (Linked to Easter, Set weekday of the month and Announced per year). On top of that, 11 further public holidays are observed in some anniversary day regions only.
Which public holidays does New Zealand have?
Every recurring national public holiday, how its date is decided, and the date it lands on in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Dates are computed from the rule, so Easter-linked and moon-linked holidays are correct for each individual year.
| Holiday | How the date is set | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Fixed date, can shift | |||
| Day after New Year's Day | Fixed date, can shift | observed, moved | ||
| Waitangi Day | Fixed date, can shift | observed, moved | ||
| Good Friday | Linked to Easter | |||
| Easter Monday | Linked to Easter | |||
| ANZAC Day | Fixed date, can shift | observed, moved | observed, moved | |
| King's Birthday | Set weekday of the month | |||
| Matariki | Announced per year | |||
| Labour Day | Set weekday of the month | |||
| Christmas Day | Fixed date, can shift | observed, moved | ||
| Boxing Day | Fixed date, can shift | observed, moved | observed, moved |
Which New Zealand holidays are national and which are regional?
The table above is the national calendar. Separately, this dataset tracks 17 anniversary day regions of New Zealand, and 11 further public holidays are observed in some of them but not nationwide in 2026. If you are planning around a specific place, add the relevant rows below to the national list.
| Regional holiday | Date in 2026 | Observed in |
|---|---|---|
| Provincial anniversary day | Auckland Province, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne, plus 2 more5 of 17 anniversary day regions | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington Province | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Nelson and Tasman | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Taranaki | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Otago Province | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Southland | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Hawke's Bay | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Marlborough | |
| Christchurch Show Day | Canterbury | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Chatham Islands | |
| Provincial anniversary day | Westland |
Regional coverage is only as complete as the underlying open dataset, so treat this as a strong indication rather than a legal source. Confirm with the relevant local or regional authority in New Zealand before you rely on a single date.
Which holidays move each year, and why?
5 of the 11 recurring holidays land on a different date each year. Here is the rule behind each group.
Fixed date, can shift (6)
The holiday has a fixed calendar date, but an observance rule can move the day off when it falls on a weekend or next to another holiday. In New Zealand this covers New Year's Day, Day after New Year's Day, Waitangi Day, ANZAC Day and Christmas Day, plus 1 more.
Set weekday of the month (2)
The rule names a weekday rather than a date, for example the third Monday in January, so the calendar date changes every year while the weekday stays the same. In New Zealand this covers King's Birthday and Labour Day.
Linked to Easter (2)
The date is counted from Easter Sunday, which is the Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon falling on or after 21 March, so it swings between late March and late April. In New Zealand this covers Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Announced per year (1)
There is no repeating rule. The date is set for that single year by an official announcement, which is why it has to be confirmed year by year and why it cannot be projected far ahead. In New Zealand this covers Matariki.
When is the next public holiday in New Zealand?
The next 3 holidays on the 2026 calendar.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Day | Monday | |
| Christmas Day | Friday | |
| Boxing Day | in lieu of | Monday |
New Zealand public holiday calendars by year
Open a year for the full table with dates, weekdays and long-weekend counts.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does New Zealand have?
New Zealand has 11 national public holidays in 2026 and 11 in 2027. The total can differ from year to year because holidays that fall on a weekend sometimes gain a substitute day, and because moon-based and Easter-based dates occasionally shift in or out of a calendar year.
Which New Zealand public holidays fall on the same date every year?
Six of them: New Year's Day (January 1), Day after New Year's Day (January 2), Waitangi Day (February 6), ANZAC Day (April 27), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 28). These are pinned to a calendar date, so only the weekday changes from year to year.
Which public holidays in New Zealand change date each year?
Five do: Good Friday, Easter Monday, King's Birthday, Matariki and Labour Day. The reasons are linked to easter, set weekday of the month and announced per year, so the Gregorian date has to be recalculated for every year rather than copied forward.
Are there regional public holidays in New Zealand?
Yes. Besides the national list, 11 public holidays are observed in some anniversary day regions only, for example Provincial anniversary day in Auckland Province, Provincial anniversary day in Manawatu-Wanganui and Provincial anniversary day in Nelson. The year calendars on this site show national holidays only, so add the relevant regional dates on top.
What happens when a public holiday in New Zealand falls on a weekend?
New Zealand applies a shift rule to six of its holidays, so a date landing on a Saturday or Sunday is observed on a nearby weekday instead. New Year's Day, Day after New Year's Day, Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day, plus 2 more follow that pattern. We list a moved holiday once, on the day actually taken off, with its calendar date beside it, rather than counting the weekend date and its replacement as two separate holidays.
How to use this page
Public holidays shape the working year in New Zealand, closing many offices, banks and public services and shifting the rhythm of travel and shopping. If you are scheduling a delivery, a launch or a meeting with a New Zealand team, the table at the top is the quickest check: it shows every recurring holiday side by side across 2025, 2026 and 2027, so you can see at a glance which dates are stable and which need looking up again next year. Where a holiday falls on a weekend and is taken on another day, it appears once, on the day off, with its calendar date beside it, so the totals here match the official ones rather than double counting.
For a single year with weekday counts and long weekends, open the year page for 2025, 2026 or 2027. To compare countries in one year, the 2026 worldwide overview lists every country we cover side by side. Dates come from the open date-holidays dataset and are recalculated per year from each holiday's rule. Always confirm official dates with a local authority before you commit to travel or contracts.