At a glance
- Who it’s for
- Families, and anyone planning around Queensland state school holidays, including travel and bookings
- What to do now
- Term 4 runs to Friday 11 December 2026; the summer holidays then run from Saturday 12 December to Tuesday 26 January 2027, and Term 1 starts on Wednesday 27 January 2027
- Summer break
- 46 days for most state schools, 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027
- Last checked
- 10 November 2026 (AEST), on the Queensland Department of Education’s term dates, future dates, school holidays and extended summer holidays pages
- Not yet confirmed
- These are state school dates; we have not checked non-state school calendars, and individual schools set their own show holiday
Queensland state school Term 4 ends on Friday 11 December 2026, and the summer holidays run from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027, which is 46 days. Term 1 2027 starts on Wednesday 27 January. These dates come from the Queensland Department of Education’s pages as read on 10 November 2026.
When are the Queensland school holidays in 2026?
| Term | Term dates | Holidays that follow |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Tuesday 27 January to Thursday 2 April (10 weeks) | Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April (17 days) |
| Term 2 | Monday 20 April to Friday 26 June (10 weeks) | Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July (16 days) |
| Term 3 | Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September (10 weeks) | Saturday 19 September to Monday 5 October (17 days) |
| Term 4 | Tuesday 6 October to Friday 11 December (10 weeks) | Saturday 12 December to Tuesday 26 January 2027 (46 days) |
Staff professional development days in 2026 were Thursday 22 and Friday 23 January in Term 1, Thursday 16 and Friday 17 April in Term 2, and Friday 4 September in Term 3. Term 4 has none listed.
When are the Queensland school holidays in 2027?
| Term | Term dates | Holidays that follow |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Wednesday 27 January to Thursday 25 March (9 weeks) | Friday 26 March to Sunday 11 April (17 days) |
| Term 2 | Monday 12 April to Friday 25 June (11 weeks) | Saturday 26 June to Sunday 11 July (16 days) |
| Term 3 | Monday 12 July to Friday 17 September (10 weeks) | Saturday 18 September to Monday 4 October (17 days) |
| Term 4 | Tuesday 5 October to Friday 10 December (10 weeks) | Saturday 11 December to Sunday 23 January 2028 (44 days) |
The 2027 staff professional development days are Thursday 21 January, Friday 22 January and Monday 25 January in Term 1 (3 days), Thursday 8 and Friday 9 April in Term 2, and Friday 3 September in Term 3.
What about 2028 and 2029?
| Year | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | Mon 24 January to Fri 31 March | Tue 18 April to Fri 23 June | Mon 10 July to Fri 15 September | Tue 3 October to Fri 8 December |
| 2029 | Mon 22 January to Thu 29 March | Mon 16 April to Fri 22 June | Mon 9 July to Fri 14 September | Tue 2 October to Fri 7 December |
The 2028 school holidays are Saturday 1 April to Monday 17 April, Saturday 24 June to Sunday 9 July, Saturday 16 September to Monday 2 October, and Saturday 9 December 2028 to Sunday 21 January 2029. The 2029 holidays are Friday 30 March to Sunday 15 April, Saturday 23 June to Sunday 8 July, Saturday 15 September to Monday 1 October, and from Saturday 8 December, with the end date for January 2030 still “to be published when approved by the Minister”.
How are the holidays worked out?
The Department says Queensland state schools provide 40 school weeks each year, with a rare 41-week year on a cyclical basis. Holidays follow an annual 2-semester timetable:
- Summer holiday: 6 weeks during the Christmas period
- Easter holiday: 2 weeks before, following or inclusive of the Easter public holidays
- Winter holiday: 2 weeks at the end of Semester 1
- Spring holiday: 2 weeks in the middle of Semester 2
The 4 terms are set to be as balanced in length as possible, averaging 10 weeks each and avoiding unduly long terms.
When do different year levels finish for the year?
| Year levels | Last day, according to the Department |
|---|---|
| Prep to Year 9 in state schools, and all year levels in special schools | The last day of Term 4 |
| Years 10 and 11 (except in special schools) | Usually 2 weeks, sometimes 3 weeks, before the end of Term 4 |
| Year 12 (except in special schools) | Usually 3 weeks, sometimes 4 weeks, before the end of Term 4, as determined by a calculation in the Education (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) Regulation 2014 |
Do some Queensland schools start summer earlier?
Yes. Some state schools have a 7-week summer holiday that starts 1 week before the rest of Queensland. The Department identifies them in 1 of 2 ways: state schools north of 16 degrees south latitude and west of 144 degrees east longitude, or state schools in a list of named towns and centres (including Alpha, Barcaldine, Blackall, Charleville, Cunnamulla, Hughenden, Longreach and Quilpie). It says 69 state schools currently meet one of the criteria, and campuses of those schools also receive the 7-week holiday. The Department’s page lists them by region: Far North Queensland, North Queensland, Central Queensland and Darling Downs South West.
Is there an extra day off each year?
Yes. In addition to school holidays and public holidays, schools close for 1 extra day each year, which will be either an appointed show holiday or a day off in lieu of no appointed show holiday. Where a show holiday is not appointed, employees may negotiate with the Department to treat another working day as a show holiday, and the school principal informs the community. No additional day is allocated where a show holiday falls within the scheduled school holidays.
How long is the 2026-27 summer break compared with the next one?
The Department lists the Term 4 2026 holidays at 46 days, from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027. The following summer holidays, from Saturday 11 December 2027 to Sunday 23 January 2028, are listed at 44 days. In between, the 2027 school year starts later in the week than 2026 did: Term 1 2027 begins on Wednesday 27 January, after three staff professional development days on Thursday 21, Friday 22 and Monday 25 January, whereas Term 1 2026 began on Tuesday 27 January after two staff days.
Where can I download a school calendar?
The Department’s term dates page offers downloads of the 2026 school calendar, the 2026 teachers’ calendar and the 2026 school year planner. For 2027 onwards, the Department points you to its future school dates page, which lists term dates, staff professional development days and school holidays for 2027, 2028 and 2029.
What else to check before booking?
- Which calendar applies to your school: these pages cover Queensland state schools
- Your school’s own newsletter for its show holiday and any other closure day
- The Department’s page for the year you are planning, since dates are updated: the 2026 page was last updated on 22 January 2026 and the future dates page on 19 June 2026
Public holidays across the Christmas period are covered in our Queensland public holidays guide.
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Queensland Department of Education.
Sources
- Queensland Department of Education: School holidays and term dates (read 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Department of Education: Future school dates (read 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Department of Education: Queensland school holidays (read 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Department of Education: State schools with extended summer holiday (read 10 November 2026)