When is King's Birthday?
The next King's Birthday is Mon 28 Sep 2026 (WA).
Most of the country takes the second Monday in June. Queensland holds it in October, and Western Australia proclaims its own date in late September, so check your state's row below.
- King's Birthday 2025 Mon 9 Jun / Mon 29 Sep / Mon 6 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
- King's Birthday 2026 Mon 8 Jun / Mon 28 Sep / Mon 5 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
- King's Birthday 2027 Mon 14 Jun / Mon 27 Sep / Mon 4 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
- King's Birthday 2028 Mon 12 Jun / Mon 25 Sep / Mon 2 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
About King's Birthday
A holiday that ignores the actual birthday
The King's Birthday holiday does not fall on King Charles III's birthday, which is 14 November, and the Queen's Birthday holiday before it never fell on Queen Elizabeth II's birthday either. The June date comes from King George V, whose birthday was 3 June. When he died in 1936 Australia kept the June holiday rather than moving it for each new monarch. The holiday was renamed King's Birthday after the Queen's death in September 2022, with the first King's Birthday holidays taken in 2023.
The King's Birthday Honours list, which recognises Australians for service in every field, is announced on the June long weekend regardless of which date a state observes the holiday.
Dates by state
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT all take the second Monday in June. Two states differ:
- Queensland holds it on the first Monday in October. It moved there from 2016 when the state returned Labour Day to May and wanted a holiday in the second half of the year.
- Western Australia proclaims its own date each year, usually the last Monday in September, though not always: in 2024 it was 23 September. WA already has Western Australia Day in early June, so the King's Birthday is pushed to spring. Until the WA Government publishes the date, this site marks it as provisional.
The June date is the start of the snow season in the south-east and the last public holiday before a long gap: in NSW, for instance, there is nothing between the June long weekend and Labour Day in October.
Getting the most out of it
Because it always falls on a Monday, the King's Birthday needs no substitution and reliably produces a three-day weekend. It is an efficient place to spend leave in states where it sits near school holidays, and the October date in Queensland lines up with the September and October school break. The long weekend planner shows how many days off a Tuesday to Friday of leave buys around it in your state.
King's Birthday FAQ
When is King's Birthday?
The next King's Birthday is Mon 28 Sep 2026 (WA). Most of the country takes the second Monday in June. Queensland holds it in October, and Western Australia proclaims its own date in late September, so check your state's row below.
When is King's Birthday in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028?
2025: Mon 9 Jun / Mon 29 Sep / Mon 6 Oct. 2026: Mon 8 Jun / Mon 28 Sep / Mon 5 Oct. 2027: Mon 14 Jun / Mon 27 Sep / Mon 4 Oct. 2028: Mon 12 Jun / Mon 25 Sep / Mon 2 Oct.
When is the King's Birthday public holiday?
The second Monday in June in NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, the NT and the ACT; the first Monday in October in Queensland; and a date proclaimed each year by WA, usually the last Monday in September.
Why isn't it on the King's real birthday?
The June date dates back to King George V, whose birthday was 3 June. Australia kept the June holiday after his death in 1936 rather than moving it for each monarch.