When is Labour Day?
The next Labour Day is Mon 5 Oct 2026 (NSW, SA, ACT).
Every state marks Labour Day, but almost never on the same date: March in VIC, WA and TAS (as Eight Hours Day), May in QLD and the NT (as May Day), October in NSW, SA and the ACT.
- Labour Day 2025 Mon 3 Mar / Mon 10 Mar / Mon 5 May / Mon 6 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
- Labour Day 2026 Mon 2 Mar / Mon 9 Mar / Mon 4 May / Mon 5 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
- Labour Day 2027 Mon 1 Mar / Mon 8 Mar / Mon 3 May / Mon 4 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
- Labour Day 2028 Mon 6 Mar / Mon 13 Mar / Mon 1 May / Mon 2 OctDates by state, and the long weekend it makes
About Labour Day
The eight-hour day
Labour Day commemorates the eight-hour working day, won by Melbourne stonemasons in April 1856 after a march from the University of Melbourne site to Parliament House. Sydney stonemasons had secured similar terms the year before. "Eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest" became the slogan of the trade union movement, and the anniversary was celebrated with processions long before it became a public holiday. Tasmania still calls its holiday Eight Hours Day.
Because each colony marked its own anniversary, Labour Day never settled on a single national date, and the differences have only grown as states shuffled holidays to spread them through the year.
When each state takes it
| State | Date | Name |
|---|---|---|
| WA | First Monday in March | Labour Day |
| VIC | Second Monday in March | Labour Day |
| TAS | Second Monday in March | Eight Hours Day |
| QLD | First Monday in May | Labour Day |
| NT | First Monday in May | May Day |
| NSW | First Monday in October | Labour Day |
| SA | First Monday in October | Labour Day |
| ACT | First Monday in October | Labour Day |
Queensland briefly moved its Labour Day to October between 2013 and 2015, then returned it to May from 2016, swapping places with the King's Birthday holiday, which is why Queensland is the only state to take that one in October.
The split means there is a Labour Day long weekend somewhere in Australia in three different months, which is handy for interstate travel: the March weekend in Victoria is an ordinary weekend in Sydney, and the October weekend in NSW is an ordinary weekend in Melbourne.
What the weekend looks like
In Victoria the Labour Day weekend is the Moomba festival weekend in Melbourne. In Western Australia it falls in the first week of March, closing out the summer. In NSW, SA and the ACT the October long weekend is the first break after the winter, and in Sydney it has traditionally hosted the NRL Grand Final on the Sunday. Because it is always a Monday, Labour Day never needs substitution and always creates a clean three-day weekend.
Labour Day FAQ
When is Labour Day?
The next Labour Day is Mon 5 Oct 2026 (NSW, SA, ACT). Every state marks Labour Day, but almost never on the same date: March in VIC, WA and TAS (as Eight Hours Day), May in QLD and the NT (as May Day), October in NSW, SA and the ACT.
When is Labour Day in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028?
2025: Mon 3 Mar / Mon 10 Mar / Mon 5 May / Mon 6 Oct. 2026: Mon 2 Mar / Mon 9 Mar / Mon 4 May / Mon 5 Oct. 2027: Mon 1 Mar / Mon 8 Mar / Mon 3 May / Mon 4 Oct. 2028: Mon 6 Mar / Mon 13 Mar / Mon 1 May / Mon 2 Oct.
Why is Labour Day on different dates in different states?
Each state marked the eight-hour day on its own anniversary and has adjusted the date since to spread public holidays through the year. WA, VIC and TAS take March; QLD and the NT take May; NSW, SA and the ACT take October.