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Is 26 September a public holiday?

No Saturday 26 September 2026 is not a public holiday anywhere in Australia. The nearest public holidays are Friday before AFL Grand Final on Fri 25 Sep (VIC), and King's Birthday on Mon 28 Sep (WA).

Public holidays are set state by state, so the same date can be a day off in one state and a normal Monday in the next. Here is what 26 September looks like in every published year.

  1. Friday 26 September 2025 Public holiday

    • Friday before AFL Grand Final
      VIC

    A Friday, so it makes a three-day weekend in VIC. The long weekend planner shows what a few days of leave either side would add.

  2. Saturday 26 September 2026 Working day

    No public holiday in any state or territory.

  3. Sunday 26 September 2027 Working day

    No public holiday in any state or territory.

  4. Tuesday 26 September 2028 Working day

    No public holiday in any state or territory.

The holidays that fall on 26 September

  • Grand Final Friday

    The Friday before the AFL Grand Final became a Victorian public holiday in 2015. It was introduced by the Andrews government alongside Easter Sunday, fulfilling an election promise, and it remains the most argued-about holiday in the state: business groups put its cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars, while its supporters point to the crowds at the Grand Final Parade and the boost to hospitality. The holiday is tied to the AFL fixture rather than to a fixed date. In a normal season the Grand Final is on the last Saturday in September, so the holiday is the last Friday in September. When the season shifts, the holiday shifts with it. In 2020 the pandemic pushed the Grand Final to 24 October at the Gabba in Brisbane, and Victoria moved the holiday to Friday 23 October.

    More about Grand Final Friday

September in the public holiday calendar

September has two public holidays and both are single-state. Victoria's Grand Final Friday is usually the last Friday of the month, tied to the AFL fixture and provisional until it is gazetted. Western Australia's King's Birthday is proclaimed each year, usually the last Monday. On the day of the Grand Final holiday Melbourne is closed while Sydney works, and on WA's King's Birthday Perth is closed while the east coast works. Every other September date is a working day everywhere.

How public holidays are decided, and what you are owed

26 September FAQ

Is 26 September a public holiday in 2025?

Friday 26 September 2025 is Friday before AFL Grand Final in VIC. It is a normal working day everywhere else.

Is 26 September a public holiday in 2026?

Saturday 26 September 2026 is not a public holiday anywhere in Australia. The nearest public holidays are Friday before AFL Grand Final on Fri 25 Sep (VIC), and King's Birthday on Mon 28 Sep (WA).

Is 26 September a public holiday in 2027?

Sunday 26 September 2027 is not a public holiday anywhere in Australia. The nearest public holidays are Friday before AFL Grand Final on Fri 24 Sep (VIC), and King's Birthday on Mon 27 Sep (WA).

Is 26 September a public holiday in 2028?

Tuesday 26 September 2028 is not a public holiday anywhere in Australia. The nearest public holidays are King's Birthday on Mon 25 Sep (WA), and Friday before AFL Grand Final on Fri 29 Sep (VIC).

Looking for the whole year? Every 2026 public holiday by state