# Public holidays in New Zealand

National public holidays (regional anniversary days not included). Is today a holiday, what is on this week, and when is the next day off — worked out for Pacific/Auckland time.

## New Zealand public holidays at a glance

New Zealand has 11 public holiday dates in 2026 plus 2 substitute days off: the first is New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January and the last is Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December. The same data for 2020–2030 is available as JSON from `/api/holidays?country=NZ&year=2026`.

## About holidays in New Zealand

Matariki became a public holiday in 2022; its date follows the Māori lunar calendar and is set years ahead. Waitangi Day and Anzac Day move to Monday when they fall on a weekend. Each region also has an anniversary day, not listed here.

## All New Zealand public holidays in 2026

| Date | Holiday |
| --- | --- |
| Thursday 1 January | New Year's Day |
| Friday 2 January | Day after New Year's Day |
| Friday 6 February | Waitangi Day |
| Friday 3 April | Good Friday |
| Monday 6 April | Easter Monday |
| Saturday 25 April | Anzac Day |
| Monday 27 April | Anzac Day (day off in lieu) |
| Monday 1 June | King's Birthday |
| Friday 10 July | Matariki |
| Monday 26 October | Labour Day |
| Friday 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Saturday 26 December | Boxing Day |
| Monday 28 December | Boxing Day (day off in lieu) |

Full month-by-month calendars: [2026 calendar](https://whathappen.today/holidays/new-zealand/2026/) · [2027 calendar](https://whathappen.today/holidays/new-zealand/2027/).

## Sources

- [Employment New Zealand — Public holidays and anniversary dates](https://www.employment.govt.nz/leave-and-holidays/public-holidays/public-holidays-and-anniversary-dates/) — official list to confirm dates (checked 2026-10-10)
- [vacanza/holidays (open-source holiday rules, MIT licence)](https://github.com/vacanza/holidays) — holiday rules used to build the lists (checked 2026-10-10)

## Questions and answers

How many public holidays does New Zealand have in 2026?

This list has 11 holiday dates in 2026, plus 2 substitute days off. It covers national public holidays (regional anniversary days not included).

Which New Zealand holidays fall on a weekend in 2026?

Anzac Day (Saturday 25 April); Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December). Where the rules give a substitute day off, it is listed separately.

Which dates could still change?

None of the 2026 dates depend on a moon sighting, but governments can still add one-off holidays during the year.

Which time zone does “today” use on this page?

Pacific/Auckland, the country's time zone. The status box at the top is worked out in your browser from your device clock.

Where are the official dates published?

[Employment New Zealand — Public holidays and anniversary dates](https://www.employment.govt.nz/leave-and-holidays/public-holidays/public-holidays-and-anniversary-dates/). When this page and the official source disagree, the official source is right.

For reference only — governments can add, move or cancel holidays at short notice. Confirm with the official source: [Employment New Zealand — Public holidays and anniversary dates](https://www.employment.govt.nz/leave-and-holidays/public-holidays/public-holidays-and-anniversary-dates/). Data: the open-source `holidays` library (MIT), spot-checked against official 2026 calendars.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

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Web page: https://whathappen.today/holidays/new-zealand/