New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed the state will observe an extra public holiday on ANZAC Day Weekend for the next two years.
Confirming the delightful news on Sunday morning, Minns said he would implement an extra day off for both ANZAC Day 2026 and 2027, as they fall on weekends.
“We’re here to announce that in 2026, we will be having an additional public holiday in NSW on the 27th of April, Monday the 27th of April, after ANZAC Day, obviously on the 25th,” Minns confirmed.
Minns previously floated the idea in January, noting that the state was “underserved when it comes to public holidays”. However, he stressed that the extra day shouldn’t take away from the importance of ANZAC Day.
In today’s announcement, he reiterated the importance of April 25.
“We’re very sensitive to the idea that the 25th of April is a solemn day for our state, for our country,” Minns continued.
“It is probably the most important national day that we have where we recognise servicemen and women’s contribution to our country — what our country has as a result of their determination, their courage, their professionalism, their dedication to our state.
“I think that NSW residents can be trusted with this public holiday in the sense that it won’t detract from the solemnity and importance of the 25th of April. It’s one of the reasons why we’re holding this public holiday after ANZAC Day has taken place, not the Friday before.”
Minns also acknowledged that the decision might not sit well with business owners, but insists adding the extra day “was the right thing to do”, per 9News.
“We’ve also spoken with business; not all business groups are supportive of this change, and it’s important that we recognise that,” he continued.
“We know it’s somewhat of an additional burden for small businesses in particular, but this is an important thing we need to do for the state.
“We are not dismissing that opposition, but on balance we believe that this additional public holiday was the right thing to do.”
According to 9News, the decision was made following discussions with RSL NSW, who agreed with the extra public holiday. Acting President Vince Williams revealed that a survey completed by members was evenly split between support and opposition of the extra holiday, but the RSL NSW board voted in favour of the extra day.
Is ANZAC Day a public holiday in 2026?
With the confirmation of the extra public holiday, NSW is now aligned with Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, which celebrate an extra public holiday when ANZAC Day Falls on a weekend.
For 2026, NSW residents will cop an extra public holiday on Monday, April 27, and for 2027, the extra holiday will fall on Monday, April 26.
For Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, and Tasmania, ANZAC Day will be observed on the Saturday.
In Queensland, if April 25 fell on a Sunday, the public holiday would be celebrated on the following Monday.
Image source: Getty Images
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