Sydney Public Holidays 2026: NSW Holiday Calendar & School Dates
Sydney public holidays 2026 and 2027 calendar plus NSW school holidays, what closes, transport changes and hotel pricing impact.
Sydney public holidays shape every aspect of a trip to Australia’s largest city — from when shops are open and how much you pay for hotels, to which beaches will be packed and which restaurants will have all-day brunch versus a closed kitchen. Knowing the full Sydney public holidays calendar (and the New South Wales school holiday dates) lets you avoid the worst crowds, capitalise on the festive atmosphere, and dodge the budget-blowing demand surges around Christmas, Easter and Australia Day. This 2026 guide is the comprehensive reference: every Sydney public holidays date for 2026 and 2027, what closes and stays open, how transport changes, and the practical traveller’s playbook for navigating each one.
Sydney public holidays 2026 — full calendar
Sydney follows the New South Wales public holiday calendar set by the NSW Government. The 2026 Sydney public holidays are:
- New Year’s Day — Thursday 1 January 2026
- Australia Day — Monday 26 January 2026
- Good Friday — Friday 3 April 2026
- Easter Saturday — Saturday 4 April 2026
- Easter Sunday — Sunday 5 April 2026
- Easter Monday — Monday 6 April 2026
- Anzac Day — Saturday 25 April 2026 (additional public holiday Monday 27 April)
- King’s Birthday — Monday 8 June 2026
- Bank Holiday — Monday 3 August 2026 (banks only — not a public holiday for retail/tourism)
- Labour Day — Monday 5 October 2026
- Christmas Day — Friday 25 December 2026
- Boxing Day — Saturday 26 December 2026 (additional public holiday Monday 28 December)
That gives 13 public holiday dates for the year, counting the additional days on Monday 27 April and Monday 28 December. The August Bank Holiday applies to banks only and isn’t one of them.
Sydney public holidays 2027 — full calendar (preview)
For travellers planning ahead, key 2027 dates:
- New Year’s Day — Friday 1 January 2027
- Australia Day — Tuesday 26 January 2027
- Good Friday — Friday 26 March 2027
- Easter Saturday — Saturday 27 March 2027
- Easter Sunday — Sunday 28 March 2027
- Easter Monday — Monday 29 March 2027
- Anzac Day — Sunday 25 April 2027 (additional public holiday Monday 26 April)
- King’s Birthday — Monday 14 June 2027
- Labour Day — Monday 4 October 2027
- Christmas Day — Saturday 25 December 2027 (additional public holiday Monday 27 December)
- Boxing Day — Sunday 26 December 2027 (additional public holiday Tuesday 28 December)
What is open on Sydney public holidays
The answer varies by holiday:
Most open as normal: Tourist attractions including Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, BridgeClimb, Sea Life Aquarium, Sydney Tower Eye, Royal Botanic Garden, Bondi Icebergs pool. Public transport runs Sunday timetables. Major shopping centres such as Westfield Sydney and Westfield Bondi Junction set their own public holiday hours, so check the centre’s website for the date you need.
Mostly closed: Christmas Day (only emergency services, some major hotels, limited cafes in tourist areas), Good Friday (most retail closed, restaurants reduced, supermarkets closed in some suburbs), Easter Sunday (similar to Good Friday).
Reduced services: Easter Monday, King’s Birthday, Labour Day — most attractions open but at reduced capacity; transport operates Sunday or holiday timetables.
Special operating hours: Anzac Day brings no special liquor-trading restrictions, so pubs and clubs open within their normal licensed hours. Many supermarkets close Christmas Day and cut their hours on other holidays; check your local store before you shop.
How Sydney public holidays affect tourist prices
Sydney public holidays drive hotel pricing dramatically:
NYE (31 December): hotel rates climb well above normal. Read the dates and booking conditions on your quote before you commit.
Christmas Day–Boxing Day: hotel rates rise above normal.
Australia Day weekend: harbour events draw extra demand, and rates tend to follow.
Easter weekend (Good Friday–Easter Monday): a four-day break, so hotel rates rise with domestic demand.
Anzac Day: a moderate rise, mainly when the holiday makes a long weekend.
King’s Birthday long weekend: a modest lift in rates.
Labour Day long weekend: much the same long-weekend lift as June.
The pattern: a 3-day weekend created by a Monday or Friday public holiday tends to push accommodation costs up. The opposite is true mid-week public holidays — they often see no rate change, just a quieter CBD.
NSW school holidays 2026 — full calendar
School holidays drive tourist demand even more than public holidays. The NSW state school holiday calendar 2026:
- Summer holidays: Monday 22 December 2025 – Monday 26 January 2026 (Eastern division; students returned Monday 2 February).
- Autumn holidays: Tuesday 7 – Friday 17 April 2026 (in 2027: Monday 12 – Friday 23 April).
- Winter holidays: Monday 6 – Friday 17 July 2026 (next year Monday 5 – Friday 16 July 2027, with students back Tuesday 20 July).
- Spring holidays: Monday 28 September – Friday 9 October 2026 (2027: Monday 27 September – Friday 8 October; school resumes Monday 11 October).
- Summer holidays 2026–27: Friday 18 December 2026 – Wednesday 27 January 2027 (Eastern division).
Public, Catholic and independent schools have slightly different exact dates, but all align within a few days of the above. Sydney tourist attractions, family hotels and beach amenities are noticeably busier during these windows.
What each Sydney public holiday actually means for travellers
New Year’s Day
Recovery day after NYE. Quiet city; beaches busy in afternoon. Restaurants and cafes mostly open. Public transport runs holiday timetable. Bondi NYD beach scene is famous.
Australia Day (26 January)
Sydney’s most public-holiday-feeling day — beach BBQs, free harbour ferrython, Indigenous cultural ceremonies, regatta on the harbour, evening fireworks. Tourist attractions open as normal. Public transport runs Sunday timetable. Some Aboriginal Australians refer to the day as “Invasion Day” and protests/counter-events are common — visitors should respect both positions.
Good Friday
Christian-influenced quiet day. Most restaurants and supermarkets closed; pubs operate restricted trading; CBD shopping closed. Tourist attractions like the Opera House and Taronga Zoo open at reduced hours. Beaches busy weather-permitting.
Easter Saturday / Sunday / Monday
Easter Sunday similar to Good Friday but less restrictive. Royal Easter Show typically runs through this weekend.
Anzac Day (25 April)
The Dawn Service is held at the Martin Place Cenotaph, the march goes through the CBD, and the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park holds its own commemoration later in the day; check the year’s programme for times. Pubs trade within their usual licensed hours, as Anzac Day carries no special liquor restrictions. Two-Up gambling legal only on Anzac Day in NSW. Most tourist attractions open. A reflective national day.
King’s Birthday (June)
3-day long weekend. Marks the British monarch’s official birthday. Sydney mid-winter — Vivid Sydney typically still running during the weekend. Hotel rates moderately elevated.
Labour Day (October)
3-day long weekend; the next one runs Saturday 2 to Monday 4 October 2027. Marks the 8-hour working day movement of the 1850s. Spring-time outdoor activities; beaches becoming swimmable.
Christmas Day
Most restaurants and shops closed. Many hotels host Christmas Day lunch buffets. Beaches busy with families. Public transport runs holiday timetable. Some museums (Australian Museum, Art Gallery NSW) close. The Salvation Army Christmas Day lunch in The Domain is open to all.
Boxing Day (26 December)
Boxing Day Sales — Australian shopping retail extravaganza. Westfield Sydney and Pitt Street Mall packed by 6am. Sydney to Hobart yacht race departs Sydney Harbour with a spectator fleet.
Sydney public holidays transport changes
Most public holidays trigger one of several transport patterns:
Sunday timetable — buses, trains and ferries operate as if it is Sunday. Reduced frequency but full coverage.
Holiday timetable — special schedules with extra services in the morning and evening for major events (NYE, Australia Day, Anzac Day dawn service).
NightRide buses — overnight on NYE replace train coverage from Town Hall.
Free travel periods — NYE-related free public transport is common; check the official Transport NSW website for dates.
There is no separate Sunday Opal cap. On every public holiday, adult Opal fares are capped at AU$9.65 a day, the same cap that applies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (Monday to Thursday it is AU$19.30). Airport station access fees are charged on top.
How to plan around Sydney public holidays
Strategic advice for travellers:
- Book hotels 3–6 months ahead for NYE, Christmas, Easter and Australia Day.
- Avoid Good Friday and Christmas Day for shopping plans — most stores closed.
- Anzac Day morning is moving and worth attending the Martin Place dawn service at the Cenotaph; confirm the start time on that year’s programme before you set out.
- Boxing Day Sales are a uniquely Australian retail experience — arrive at 6am for crowds.
- Avoid long weekends (3-day weekends) for budget Sydney trips — domestic demand pushes hotel rates up.
- Plan around mid-week public holidays for the best mix — they create a day off without the full long-weekend premium pricing.
Sydney public holidays and beach safety
Sydney’s beaches fill up on public holidays, especially in summer. Surf Life Saving NSW provides additional lifeguards at major beaches on Australia Day, Boxing Day, and Easter Monday. Always swim between the red and yellow flags, follow lifeguard instructions, and avoid alcohol-impaired swimming.
Sydney public holidays and family travel
Families travelling during Sydney public holidays should:
- Book restaurants ahead — public-holiday dining caps at most family-friendly venues.
- Use early-morning beach starts (before 9am) for parking and space.
- Capitalise on the cultural events — Australia Day ferrython, Anzac Day dawn service, Sydney Festival (January).
- Avoid attempting the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk on public holidays unless very early.
Closed days on public holidays
Specifically what closes on Christmas Day in Sydney:
- All Westfield and major shopping centres.
- Coles, Woolworths, Aldi supermarkets.
- The Royal Botanic Garden (closed Christmas Day only).
- Most banks and ATMs operate cardless.
- Most restaurants — confirm Christmas Day bookings.
What stays open Christmas Day:
- Some pharmacies (check the chain’s store finder for Christmas Day hours).
- Petrol stations.
- Most hotel restaurants (with Christmas lunch service).
- Beaches and ocean pools.
- BridgeClimb (premium service).
- Sydney Opera House public areas.
- Public transport (holiday timetable).
Frequently asked questions about Sydney public holidays
How many public holidays does Sydney have?
NSW has 11 standard public holidays, plus additional days that vary by year: 13 public holiday dates in 2026 (with extra days on 27 April and 28 December) and 14 in 2027 (26 April, 27 December and 28 December).
Is Australia Day a public holiday in Sydney?
Yes — 26 January each year. Many businesses are closed; beaches busy; harbour ferrython is the iconic event.
What is closed on Good Friday in Sydney?
Most restaurants, supermarkets, retail and pubs (which cannot open until limited hours). Tourist attractions like the Opera House operate at reduced hours.
When are NSW school holidays in Sydney?
Summer (mid-December–late January), Autumn (mid-late April), Winter (early July), Spring (late September–early October). Specific 2026 dates vary slightly by school sector.
What is Anzac Day in Sydney?
Anzac Day (25 April) commemorates Australian and New Zealand soldiers who served in wars. Sydney’s official Dawn Service is at the Martin Place Cenotaph, followed by a march through the CBD, while the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park runs a separate commemoration (the annual programme gives the times). Traditional two-up is permitted for the day, and pubs open within their normal licensed hours.
Are restaurants open on Sydney public holidays?
Most are open on Australia Day, Anzac Day, King’s Birthday and Labour Day. Most close on Christmas Day. Variable on Good Friday and Easter weekend. Many add a public holiday surcharge to the bill.
Final word on Sydney public holidays
Knowing the Sydney public holidays calendar in advance turns trip planning from a guessing game into a clear strategy: avoid Christmas/NYE if budget matters, embrace the festive atmosphere of Australia Day or Anzac Day if it does not, and book accommodation early for any long weekend. With 13 public holiday dates in 2026 (14 in 2027) and four school holiday windows shaping the tourism calendar, Sydney’s year runs to an event-driven rhythm — and aligning your trip to its quieter pockets (or its biggest events) makes all the difference.
Helpful resources for planning your Sydney trip
For the very latest information on opening hours, ticketing and transport, the following official resources are kept up to date:
- NSW public holidays official
- NSW school holidays
- Australia Day Council NSW
- Anzac Day Sydney services
- Transport for NSW holidays
- Sydney NYE
Anzac Day is one of the most distinctive of the year’s holidays to experience as a visitor, from the Dawn Service at the Martin Place Cenotaph to two-up in the pubs of The Rocks. Our Sydney in April guide explains how the day unfolds, and how the additional public holiday on Monday 26 April 2027 turns Anzac Day weekend into a long weekend.
Labour Day, on the first Monday in October, is the one visitors tend to forget. It lands on the same weekend the clocks go forward and in the middle of the spring school holidays, so traffic out of the city is heavy. Our guide to Sydney in October has the 2027 dates and what else is on that weekend.
Related Sydney guides
Keep planning with our seasonal and trip-planning guides: