Updated for 2028 public holiday planning
Use this Northern Territory 2028 public holidays guide to check official holiday dates, calculate days until each NT holiday, compare long weekend opportunities, and plan annual leave around Easter, May Day, Picnic Day, Christmas and the NT’s part-day holidays.
Select a 2028 NT public holiday to see the date and how many days are left.
The selected holiday date will appear here.
The calculator uses your current local date and the 2028 NT public holiday list on this page.
The main Northern Territory public holidays in 2028 include New Year’s Day and the additional New Year public holiday, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, May Day, King’s Birthday, Picnic Day, Christmas Eve from 7 pm to midnight, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve from 7 pm to midnight.
The Northern Territory has two important features that are easy to miss: part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 7 pm to midnight, plus territory-wide holidays such as May Day and Picnic Day.
Before using these dates for payroll, business rostering, trading hours or travel bookings, confirm the dates with the official NT source.
The table below lists the main Northern Territory public holidays for 2028. Regional show days, local holidays, industry-specific holidays and special proclamations may not apply to every worker or location.
| Date | Day | Public holiday | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2028 | Saturday | New Year’s Day | Territory-wide |
| 3 January 2028 | Monday | Additional New Year’s Day public holiday | Territory-wide |
| 26 January 2028 | Wednesday | Australia Day | Territory-wide |
| 14 April 2028 | Friday | Good Friday | Territory-wide |
| 15 April 2028 | Saturday | Easter Saturday | Territory-wide |
| 17 April 2028 | Monday | Easter Monday | Territory-wide |
| 25 April 2028 | Tuesday | Anzac Day | Territory-wide |
| 1 May 2028 | Monday | May Day | Territory-wide |
| 12 June 2028 | Monday | King’s Birthday | Territory-wide |
| 7 August 2028 | Monday | Picnic Day | Territory-wide |
| 24 December 2028 | Sunday | Christmas Eve, 7 pm to midnight | Part-day public holiday |
| 25 December 2028 | Monday | Christmas Day | Territory-wide |
| 26 December 2028 | Tuesday | Boxing Day | Territory-wide |
| 31 December 2028 | Sunday | New Year’s Eve, 7 pm to midnight | Part-day public holiday |
Planning note: This table is for general planning. Confirm the official NT dates before relying on them for payroll, employment conditions, business closure notices or travel bookings.
For employees, entitlements can depend on awards, agreements, employment type and whether the public holiday applies to your rostered working day. For employers, the official NT source and Fair Work guidance should be checked before publishing rosters or payroll instructions.
Because New Year’s Day falls on Saturday 1 January 2028, the additional public holiday on Monday 3 January creates a useful early-year long weekend.
The Easter break runs from Good Friday 14 April to Easter Monday 17 April 2028. This is one of the easiest periods to plan a longer family break.
May Day falls on Monday 1 May 2028, creating a long weekend early in the dry season.
King’s Birthday falls on Monday 12 June 2028, giving NT residents a mid-year long weekend.
Picnic Day falls on Monday 7 August 2028, creating another useful three-day break.
Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on Monday and Tuesday in 2028, creating a strong start-of-week break. Christmas Eve is also a part-day public holiday from 7 pm to midnight.
Public holidays can be used to stretch annual leave, especially around Easter, May Day, King’s Birthday, Picnic Day and Christmas. Always confirm your workplace’s leave policies before booking travel.
| Period | Public holiday | Leave idea | Potential result |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Monday 3 January | Use leave around the first week of January if returning from Christmas travel. | Useful extended summer break. |
| April | Easter, Friday 14 April to Monday 17 April | Take Tuesday 18 to Friday 21 April. | Potential 10-day break using four days of leave. |
| May | May Day, Monday 1 May | Take Friday 28 April or Tuesday 2 May. | Potential four-day break using one day of leave. |
| June | King’s Birthday, Monday 12 June | Take Friday 9 June or Tuesday 13 June. | Potential four-day break using one day of leave. |
| August | Picnic Day, Monday 7 August | Take Friday 4 August or Tuesday 8 August. | Potential four-day break using one day of leave. |
| December | Christmas Day and Boxing Day, Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 December | Take Wednesday 27 to Friday 29 December. | Potential 10-day Christmas break when weekends are included. |
Best value period: Easter and Christmas are the strongest NT leave planning opportunities in 2028 because they create longer breaks with fewer annual leave days.
May Day is a Northern Territory public holiday held on the first Monday in May. In 2028, it falls on Monday 1 May.
Picnic Day is a Northern Territory public holiday held on the first Monday in August. In 2028, it falls on Monday 7 August.
The NT has part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 7 pm to midnight. These can matter for penalty rates, rosters and trading arrangements.
The Northern Territory can also have regional show days and local holidays. These are not included in the main territory-wide table and should be checked separately.
Territory Day is celebrated on 1 July, but it is not listed here as a territory-wide public holiday. It is still a major NT calendar date for many Territorians.
Anzac Day falls on Tuesday 25 April 2028. Because it does not fall on a Sunday in 2028, no additional Monday public holiday is listed in this page.
Use these links to compare Northern Territory public holidays across different years.
This page is designed for general planning. For payroll, penalty rates, trading hours, workplace entitlements, leave approvals or business closure decisions, confirm the details with the official NT source and relevant employment rules.
The Northern Territory public holidays in 2028 are listed in the table on this page. Key dates include New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, May Day, King’s Birthday, Picnic Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.
Yes. New Year’s Day falls on Saturday 1 January 2028, so Monday 3 January 2028 is listed as an additional New Year’s Day public holiday in the Northern Territory.
Good Friday is Friday 14 April 2028 and Easter Monday is Monday 17 April 2028. The Northern Territory also observes Easter Saturday on Saturday 15 April 2028.
No. Easter Sunday is not included in the Northern Territory public holiday table on this page. The NT observes Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.
No additional Monday substitute is listed for 2028 because Anzac Day falls on Tuesday 25 April 2028.
May Day falls on Monday 1 May 2028.
Picnic Day falls on Monday 7 August 2028.
Christmas Eve is a part-day public holiday from 7 pm to midnight on Sunday 24 December 2028. Christmas Day falls on Monday 25 December 2028 and Boxing Day falls on Tuesday 26 December 2028.
New Year’s Eve is a part-day public holiday in the Northern Territory from 7 pm to midnight on Sunday 31 December 2028.
Useful NT long weekends in 2028 include New Year, Easter, May Day, King’s Birthday and Picnic Day. Christmas also creates a useful start-of-week break.
Yes. Public holiday dates can be amended or proclaimed by territory governments, so always check the official NT public holidays source before relying on dates for payroll, business rostering, trading hours, leave approvals or travel bookings.