Queensland Public Holidays: Every Date From Christmas 2026 to October 2027, and What It Means for Gold Coast Parking (QLD)

The next Queensland public holiday is Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December 2026, from 6pm to midnight, followed by Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December and Monday 28 December. The King’s Birthday holiday on Monday 5 October 2026 has just passed. The dates below come from the Queensland Government’s public holidays page, which was last updated on 16 January 2026.

Queensland has no daylight saving, so these dates and times are on Brisbane time all year, the same as the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast does not get the Royal Queensland Show holiday, which the Queensland Government lists as Brisbane area only.

What are the public holidays from now until October 2027?

Holiday	Date
Christmas Eve 2026 (part-day)	Thursday 24 December, 6pm to midnight
Christmas Day 2026	Friday 25 December
Boxing Day 2026	Saturday 26 December and Monday 28 December
New Year’s Day 2027	Friday 1 January
Australia Day 2027	Tuesday 26 January
Good Friday 2027	Friday 26 March
The day after Good Friday 2027	Saturday 27 March
Easter Sunday 2027	Sunday 28 March
Easter Monday 2027	Monday 29 March
Anzac Day 2027	Monday 26 April
Labour Day 2027	Monday 3 May
King’s Birthday 2027	Monday 4 October

Christmas Eve is a part-day holiday from 6pm to midnight, which the law has provided for since 2019. The Queensland Government page lists the Royal Queensland Show holiday for the Brisbane area only, on Wednesday 11 August 2027.

Why are there two Boxing Day dates in 2026?

Since Christmas Day 2011, Queensland law has added an extra public holiday when Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day falls on a weekend. In 2026, Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so Monday 28 December is also a public holiday. The same rule applies in 2027: Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, so the holidays are Saturday 25 December and Monday 27 December, and Boxing Day is Sunday 26 December and Tuesday 28 December.

Why is Anzac Day on a Monday in 2027?

Anzac Day is observed on 25 April each year or, if 25 April is a Sunday, on the following Monday. In 2027, 25 April is a Sunday, so the public holiday is Monday 26 April. Labour Day is the first Monday in May and the King’s Birthday is the first Monday in October.

Is there a Gold Coast Show holiday?

The Gold Coast Show has its own show holiday. The Queensland Government’s show holidays page lists the City of Gold Coast Gold Coast Show holiday on 28 August 2026. That page lists show holiday dates for 2021 to 2026 only, so the 2027 date is not published there yet. Show holidays are appointed each year, so check the Queensland Government’s show holidays page for the 2027 date once it appears.

Do I pay for parking on public holidays?

It depends on the car park, so check the rules before you go. The City of Gold Coast’s paid car parks charge on public holidays: for example, the City’s Alex Black car park charges between 9am and 7pm Monday to Sunday, including public holidays and excluding Anzac Day. See our guide to Alex Black car park in Burleigh Heads.

HOTA’s two sources disagree. HOTA’s own Getting Here page says parking at HOTA is free on public holidays, while the City’s page for the HOTA Precinct Carpark says parking is paid on public holidays, excluding Anzac Day. We follow the City, which runs the car park, and our HOTA parking guide explains the difference.

Shopping centres set their own rules and trading hours, and they can change around holidays. Our guides to Pacific Fair parking and Westfield Helensvale parking cover the standard rules, and the centres’ own websites show holiday trading hours.

Who do I ask about holiday pay or work questions?

The Queensland Government lists the Industrial Relations infoline on 07 3406 9999 for enquiries about public holidays.

More guides: Gold Coast parking guide

Sources

• Queensland Government — Public holidays (dates, rules; last updated 16 January 2026; checked 17 October 2026)
• Queensland Government — Show holiday dates (Gold Coast Show; checked 17 October 2026)
• City of Gold Coast — Alex Black Carpark (parking fees on public holidays)

Featured image: Christmas tree at Pacific Fair, Gold Coast, photographed in 2018 (photo: Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Queensland Government or the City of Gold Coast. Holiday dates and parking rules can change; check the official pages before you plan.