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Public Holidays in New Zealand 2026

23 public and regional holidays observed across New Zealand in 2026.

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New Zealand observes eleven nationwide public holidays, including the culturally significant Waitangi Day and Matariki β€” the Māori New Year, added as an official public holiday in 2022. On top of the national list, every region also celebrates its own "provincial anniversary day" commemorating its founding, meaning the actual number of public holidays a Kiwi gets depends on which province they live in. Below is the complete 2026 calendar, covering both national and regional anniversary holidays.

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Full 2026 Calendar
DateDayHolidayObserved
January 1, 2026 Thursday New Year's Day National
January 2, 2026 Friday Day after New Year's Day National
January 19, 2026 Monday Wellington Anniversary Day NZ-WGN, NZ-MWT
January 26, 2026 Monday Auckland/Northland Anniversary DayAuckland Anniversary Day NZ-AUK, NZ-NTL, NZ-WKO, NZ-GIS, NZ-BOP
February 2, 2026 Monday Nelson Anniversary Day NZ-NSN
February 6, 2026 Friday Waitangi Day National
March 9, 2026 Monday Taranaki Anniversary Day NZ-TKI
March 23, 2026 Monday Otago Anniversary Day NZ-OTA
April 3, 2026 Friday Good Friday National
April 6, 2026 Monday Easter Monday National
April 7, 2026 Tuesday Southland Anniversary Day NZ-STL
April 27, 2026 Monday Anzac Day National
June 1, 2026 Monday King's Birthday National
July 10, 2026 Friday Matariki National
September 28, 2026 Monday Dominion DayCanterbury (South) Anniversary Day NZ-CAN
October 23, 2026 Friday Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day NZ-HKB
October 26, 2026 Monday Labour Day National
November 2, 2026 Monday Marlborough Anniversary Day NZ-MBH
November 13, 2026 Friday Canterbury (North & Central) Anniversary DayCanterbury Anniversary Day NZ-CAN
November 30, 2026 Monday Chatham Islands Anniversary Day NZ-CIT
November 30, 2026 Monday Westland Anniversary Day NZ-WTC
December 25, 2026 Friday Christmas Day National
December 28, 2026 Monday Boxing Day National
What Each Holiday Means
January 1, 2026Thursday
New Year's Day
The first day of the Gregorian calendar year, marked with fireworks and family gatherings.
January 2, 2026Friday
Day after New Year's Day
An extra rest day tacked onto New Year's Day, giving New Zealanders two full days to celebrate.
February 6, 2026Friday
Waitangi Day
Commemorates the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between the British Crown and Māori chiefs.
April 3, 2026Friday
Good Friday
A Christian observance marking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a public holiday across New Zealand.
April 6, 2026Monday
Easter Monday
The day after Easter Sunday, extending the Easter weekend into a four-day break.
April 27, 2026Monday
Anzac Day
Honours members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served and died in war, marked with dawn services nationwide.
June 1, 2026Monday
King's Birthday
An official celebration of the monarch's birthday, observed on the first Monday of June.
July 10, 2026Friday
Matariki
Marks the Māori New Year, signalled by the rise of the Matariki star cluster in the winter sky β€” New Zealand's newest public holiday.
October 26, 2026Monday
Labour Day
Commemorates the 19th-century campaign for an eight-hour working day, held on the fourth Monday of October.
December 25, 2026Friday
Christmas Day
The Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the biggest family holiday of the year.
December 28, 2026Monday
Boxing Day
A traditional post-Christmas rest day, popular for the start of the summer sales.

Holiday dates sourced from the Nager.Date public holiday API and cross-checked annually. Regional and subnational holidays may not apply to every worker in New Zealand β€” always confirm with your employer or local authority for time-off purposes.