New Zealand Public Holidays 2026
New Zealand has 11 national public holidays in 2026, starting with New Year's Day on January 1, 2026 and ending with Boxing Day on December 26, 2026, observed on Monday December 28, 2026. None of them fall on a weekend in 2026, so every holiday adds a genuine weekday off.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1, 2026 | Thursday | Public holiday |
| Day after New Year's Day | January 2, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Waitangi Day | February 6, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Good Friday | April 3, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Easter Monday | April 6, 2026 | Monday | Public holiday |
| ANZAC Day | April 27, 2026in lieu of April 25, 2026 | Monday | Public holidayMoved |
| King's Birthday | June 1, 2026 | Monday | Public holiday |
| Matariki | July 10, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Labour Day | October 26, 2026 | Monday | Public holiday |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday | Public holiday |
| Boxing Day | December 28, 2026in lieu of December 26, 2026 | Monday | Public holidayMoved |
Expect the most closures around April (3 holidays), so schedule deliveries and appointments with that in mind. 2 holidays are moved this year because the calendar date falls on a weekend, and they are listed once, on the day actually taken off, rather than twice. The table below lists every New Zealand public holiday for 2026 with its exact date and the weekday it falls on, so you can see the long weekends at a glance. Regional and local observances are excluded, so what you see are the holidays recognised across New Zealand.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does New Zealand have in 2026?
New Zealand has 11 national public holidays in 2026. The first is New Year's Day on January 1, 2026 and the last is Boxing Day on December 26, 2026, observed on Monday December 28, 2026.
What is the first public holiday of 2026 in New Zealand?
The first public holiday of 2026 is New Year's Day, which falls on January 1, 2026.
When is New Year celebrated in New Zealand in 2026?
In 2026, New Year's Day in New Zealand is on January 1, 2026.
Which 2026 holidays in New Zealand are moved to another day?
2 are: ANZAC Day, which falls on April 25, 2026 but is taken on Monday April 27, 2026 and Boxing Day, which falls on December 26, 2026 but is taken on Monday December 28, 2026. A moved holiday is one holiday with a shifted day off, not two holidays, so it is counted once here. Sites that list both the weekend date and its replacement report a higher total than the official calendar does.
Are regional holidays included for New Zealand?
No. This calendar lists national public holidays only, so it stays consistent across countries. Holidays that apply to just part of New Zealand are listed separately on the New Zealand holiday hub, together with the anniversary day regions that observe them.
Do the New Zealand holiday dates change from 2026 to the next year?
Some of them do. 5 of the 11 holidays in 2026 sit on a moving rule (linked to easter, set weekday of the month and announced per year), so their date has to be recalculated for every year. The rest keep the same calendar date and only change weekday. Moving ones this year include Good Friday on April 3, 2026, Easter Monday on April 6, 2026 and King's Birthday on June 1, 2026, plus 2 more.
How far ahead is the New Zealand calendar actually fixed?
Through 2027. The holidays are set in law rather than announced year by year, so the dates repeat predictably. What can still change is a law amendment, a one-off holiday declared for a national event, and the exact day of any holiday on the Islamic calendar, which is confirmed by moon sighting. No corrections to the underlying dataset were needed for New Zealand.
Which New Zealand holidays are regional, and which move?
The table above is the national calendar for 2026. Some holidays keep the same date every year while others are tied to Easter, to a lunar calendar or to a named weekday, and some parts of the country add their own days off. The New Zealand holiday hub breaks that down: which holidays are fixed, which move and why, and which ones are observed in certain regions only. To compare New Zealand with other countries in the same year, see the 2026 worldwide overview.
Other years for New Zealand
Planning further ahead or looking back? Compare the New Zealand public holiday calendar across years: