Maximise Your Annual Leave in 2026: Public Holiday Hacks

23–26 January
Take off 23 January for a four-day break.

Celebrate summer in style by sipping cocktails or enjoying a meal at one of Canberra’s top  venues with a view, to truly take in the vistas of this beautiful capital city. Head to Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the National Museum of Australia. Featuring 250 objects from the V&A in London, the exhibition explores the powerhouse behind Korea's dramatic cultural transformation and the vibrant world of K-culture as it continues to sweep across the globe.

Across the Australia Day public holiday (26 January), you can enjoy the exciting, new, and one-of-a-kind event, FLIGHT: Drone SkyShow and Night Market. This free community event will take place over three nights (24–26 January) and bring together a SkyShow consisting of 600 drones, night markets, food and drink vendors, and roving live performers to the National Triangle.

Learn about First Nations’ culture and history, dating back more than 65,000 years, at the National Museum of Australia’s Talking Blak to History gallery. Or head to the National Portrait Gallery to see Super Kaylene Whiskey, an exhibition celebrating one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, proud Yankunytjatjara woman Kaylene Whiskey. 

3–6 April
Long weekend, no leave required.

The Easter Weekend means there are four days to enjoy Canberra's best. Not only does Canberra put on some of the nation’s biggest festivals and blockbuster exhibitions, we also have a thriving calendar of foodie events, markets, performances, family-friendly activities, sport, and live music. Enjoy the National Folk Festival (2–6 April), featuring music, folk dance, and family-fun activities.

25–27 April
Long weekend, no leave required.

The Australian War Memorial  is a unique national institution that combines a shrine, a museum, and an archive. Spend your Anzac Day (25 April) paying your respects to those who have served, at the Australian War Memorial  Anzac Day Dawn Service or by attending a daily Last Post Ceremony. 

King’s Birthday (6–8 June)
Long weekend, no leave required.

Mark the King’s Birthday (8 June) with festivities fit for royalty over this three-day weekend. Join talented dogs on a truffle hunt before enjoying a three-course meal and a fancy nights’ stay at Beltana Farm. Take the little ones skiing, without breaking the bank, at Corin Forest, where snowmen making competitions, snowball fights, toboggan rides, hot chocolates, and woodfired pizzas await.

Labour Day (3–5 October)
Long weekend, no leave required.

Embrace spring with a day of leisurely walks, picnics, and live music at Canberra’s annual celebration of spring: Floriade (12 September–11 October). Showcasing floral designs featuring more than one million blooms, this annual festival gets better every year, and popular for its Instagram-worthy scenes, food trucks, market stalls, and horticulture workshops.

Labour Day (2–4 May)
Long weekend, no leave required.

Enjoy a stress-free long weekend in Canberra filled with relaxation at Jindii Eco Spa and delicious food from the buzzing eat-streets of Braddon. Have a feed at Lazy Su or a nightcap at award-winning Volstead Repeal, and don’t forget to top off the evening with a scoop from Gelato Messina.

Connect with nature as you walk through forests of endangered trees and soak up the views of rolling hills at the National Arboretum Canberra. Or take in the sights from the Mount Ainslie Lookout, for one of the best vantage points of the capital city.

Royal Queensland Show (12–16 August)
Take two days off (13–14 August) for five consecutive days off.

On the Royal Queensland Show Day (12 August) head to the National Portrait Gallery to see famous faces including royals, politicians, tv personalities, and athletes.  This public holiday is only offered to those in the Brisbane region so head to Capital Brewing Co, Australia’s first carbon-neutral brewery, and raise a glass of craft beer to your regional mates who are working today. Why not spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the adjacent Dairy Road precinct, where you can find a gin distillery, art gallery, and bouldering gym?

King’s Birthday (3–5 October)
Long weekend, no leave required.

Make the most of the King's Birthday (5 October) at Floriade (12 September–11 October), where more than one million blooms show off in Australia’s biggest celebration of spring. Indulge in of your long weekend with a visit to the Canberra District Wine Region, where you’ll find more the 40 wineries within a 35 minute drive of the city. This cool climate wine region is famed for their Riesling and shiraz but take the time to ask for recommendations at the cellar door you’re visiting – you might just find a new favourite.