Updated for 2028 public holiday planning
Use this South Australia 2028 public holidays guide to check official holiday dates, calculate days until each SA public holiday, compare long weekend opportunities, and plan annual leave around Adelaide Cup Day, Easter, King’s Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Eve, Proclamation Day and New Year’s Eve.
Select a 2028 South Australia 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 South Australia public holiday list on this page.
The main South Australia public holidays in 2028 include New Year’s Day and the additional New Year public holiday, Australia Day, Adelaide Cup Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, King’s Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Eve from 7 pm to midnight, Christmas Day, Proclamation Day and New Year’s Eve from 7 pm to midnight.
South Australia has part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 7 pm to midnight. It also uses Proclamation Day on 26 December instead of calling the 26 December holiday Boxing Day.
Before using these dates for payroll, business rostering, trading hours or travel bookings, confirm the dates with the official South Australian source.
The table below lists the main South Australia public holidays for 2028. Local holidays, regional event days, 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 | Statewide |
| 3 January 2028 | Monday | Additional New Year’s Day public holiday | Statewide |
| 26 January 2028 | Wednesday | Australia Day | Statewide |
| 13 March 2028 | Monday | Adelaide Cup Day | Statewide |
| 14 April 2028 | Friday | Good Friday | Statewide |
| 15 April 2028 | Saturday | Easter Saturday | Statewide |
| 16 April 2028 | Sunday | Easter Sunday | Statewide |
| 17 April 2028 | Monday | Easter Monday | Statewide |
| 25 April 2028 | Tuesday | Anzac Day | Statewide |
| 12 June 2028 | Monday | King’s Birthday / Volunteers Day | Statewide |
| 2 October 2028 | Monday | Labour Day | Statewide |
| 24 December 2028 | Sunday | Christmas Eve, 7 pm to midnight | Part-day public holiday |
| 25 December 2028 | Monday | Christmas Day | Statewide |
| 26 December 2028 | Tuesday | Proclamation Day | Statewide |
| 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 South Australian 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 SafeWork SA 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.
Adelaide Cup Day falls on Monday 13 March 2028, creating a three-day long weekend in South Australia.
The Easter break runs from Good Friday 14 April to Easter Monday 17 April 2028. South Australia includes Easter Sunday as part of the Easter public holiday period.
King’s Birthday / Volunteers Day falls on Monday 12 June 2028, creating a mid-year long weekend.
Labour Day falls on Monday 2 October 2028, creating a spring long weekend in South Australia.
Christmas Day and Proclamation 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 Adelaide Cup Day, Easter, King’s Birthday, Labour 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. |
| March | Adelaide Cup Day, Monday 13 March | Take Friday 10 March or Tuesday 14 March. | Potential four-day break using one day of leave. |
| 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. |
| June | King’s Birthday / Volunteers Day, Monday 12 June | Take Friday 9 June or Tuesday 13 June. | Potential four-day break using one day of leave. |
| October | Labour Day, Monday 2 October | Take Friday 29 September or Tuesday 3 October. | Potential four-day spring break using one day of leave. |
| December | Christmas Day and Proclamation 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 South Australian leave planning opportunities in 2028 because they create longer breaks with fewer annual leave days.
Adelaide Cup Day falls on Monday 13 March 2028. It is a key South Australian public holiday and creates a useful March long weekend.
South Australia lists the 26 December public holiday as Proclamation Day. In 2028, it falls on Tuesday 26 December.
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are part-day public holidays in South Australia from 7 pm to midnight. These can matter for penalty rates, rosters and trading arrangements.
From 2024, Easter Sunday is a public holiday in South Australia. In 2028, Easter Sunday falls on Sunday 16 April.
All South Australian public holidays and Sundays are taken to be bank holidays. This is relevant for authorised deposit-taking institutions and may not mean every worker has a separate entitlement.
Additional or substituted public holidays can be appointed by proclamation. Check the official SafeWork SA source before relying on dates for employment or business decisions.
Use these links to compare South Australia 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 South Australian source and relevant employment rules.
The South Australia public holidays in 2028 are listed in the table on this page. Key dates include New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Adelaide Cup Day, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, King’s Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Proclamation 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 South Australia.
Adelaide Cup Day falls on Monday 13 March 2028.
Good Friday is Friday 14 April 2028 and Easter Monday is Monday 17 April 2028. South Australia also observes Easter Saturday on Saturday 15 April and Easter Sunday on Sunday 16 April.
Yes. Easter Sunday is listed as a South Australian public holiday in 2028.
No substitute or additional Monday holiday is listed for 2028. Anzac Day falls on Tuesday 25 April 2028.
King’s Birthday / Volunteers Day falls on Monday 12 June 2028.
Labour Day falls on Monday 2 October 2028.
Yes. Christmas Eve is a part-day public holiday in South Australia from 7 pm to midnight. In 2028, it falls on Sunday 24 December.
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 Proclamation Day falls on Tuesday 26 December 2028.
New Year’s Eve is a part-day public holiday in South Australia from 7 pm to midnight on Sunday 31 December 2028.
Useful South Australia long weekends in 2028 include New Year, Adelaide Cup Day, Easter, King’s Birthday and Labour Day. Christmas also creates a useful start-of-week break.
Yes. Public holiday dates can be amended or proclaimed by state governments, so always check the official SafeWork SA public holidays source before relying on dates for payroll, business rostering, trading hours, leave approvals or travel bookings.