If you’ve ever planned a long weekend around the Ekka only to find out it wasn’t a public holiday where you live, you know Queensland’s holiday system can be tricky. Unlike most states, Queensland spreads show holidays across different dates depending on your council area—and the rules governing Anzac Day and Easter Sundays add another layer. This guide walks through every statewide and regional public holiday in 2025, with the official dates, observance quirks, and what they mean for your leave planner.

4 related posts

Total QLD public holidays: 10–11 statewide (core 7 national, plus state-specific holidays) · Australia Day observed: Monday 27 January · Labour Day: Monday 5 May · National holidays: 7 core

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Full list of all regional show holiday dates beyond the main council areas
  • Exact boundaries for “Brisbane area” under the Ekka holiday legislation
  • Whether part-day Christmas Eve rules vary by employer
3Timeline signal
  • First quarter: New Year’s Day (1 Jan), Australia Day observed (27 Jan)
  • Second quarter: Easter period (18–21 Apr), Anzac Day (25 Apr), Labour Day (5 May)
  • August is the peak regional variation month with 5+ distinct show holiday dates
4What’s next
  • Ekka 2026 set for 8–16 August with public holiday on 12 August (Ekka Official Dates)
  • King’s Birthday on 6 October closes out the mid-year holiday surge (Ekka Official Dates)
  • Christmas and Boxing Day round out the calendar at end of year (Ekka Official Dates)
Holiday Date Notes
New Year’s Day Wednesday 1 January 2025 Core national holiday
Australia Day (observed) Monday 27 January 2025 Falls on Sunday 26 Jan, observed Monday
Good Friday Friday 18 April 2025 Core national holiday
Easter Saturday Saturday 19 April 2025 Public holiday in QLD since 2017 amendments
Easter Sunday Sunday 20 April 2025 Public holiday in QLD since 2017 amendments
Easter Monday Monday 21 April 2025 Core national holiday
Anzac Day Friday 25 April 2025 Observed on actual date per Holidays Act 1983
Labour Day Monday 5 May 2025 Statewide QLD holiday
Ekka People’s Day Wednesday 13 August 2025 Brisbane area only
King’s Birthday Monday 6 October 2025 Statewide QLD holiday
Christmas Day Thursday 25 December 2025 Core national holiday
Boxing Day Friday 26 December 2025 Core national holiday

How many Public Holidays are there in QLD in 2025?

Queensland counts 10 to 11 public holidays in 2025 depending on where you live. The seven core national holidays—New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day—are locked in across every state and territory. On top of that, Queensland adds three state-specific holidays: Labour Day (the first Monday in May), the King’s Birthday (the first Monday in October), and a show holiday that varies by council area.

National vs state holidays

The national set comes from federal legislation and applies uniformly nationwide. State holidays are declared under Queensland’s Queensland Government Holidays Act 1983 (Queensland Government guidance), which also governs observance rules—like when Anzac Day falls on a weekend, it carries over to the following Monday.

Regional additions

This is where Queensland differs from most other states. Each council area designates its own show holiday, typically aligned to the local agricultural show. According to Ekka Official Blog, “across Queensland, each city, region, shire, and community observes a public holiday for the Show on different days.” The result is a patchwork: Brisbane gets the Ekka People’s Day on 13 August, but South Burnett observes its show holiday on 11 August, and Gold Coast on 29 August.

Bottom line: Brisbane workers get one more paid day off than those in regional centres without an August show holiday—effectively reaching 11 holidays for leave planning purposes.

Is the King’s birthday a public holiday in QLD?

Yes—and it’s the first Monday in October. In 2025, King’s Birthday falls on Monday 6 October, making it a straightforward Monday public holiday with no observance gymnastics needed. This marks the second year since the coronation of King Charles III, following the previous era of Queen’s Birthday celebrations.

Date in 2025

King’s Birthday 2025: Monday 6 October. Budget Direct confirms this date, and it matches the standard formula of the first Monday in October used for the former Queen’s Birthday in Queensland.

Monday observance

Unlike Anzac Day, which sometimes shifts to a Monday if it falls on a weekend, the King’s Birthday always lands on the first Monday in October regardless of the actual calendar date. This predictability makes it one of the easier holidays to plan around.

What is the holiday calendar for 2025?

The full Queensland public holiday calendar spans January through December, with the first half dominated by Easter, Anzac Day, and Labour Day, and the second half built around the August-September show holiday season and the end-of-year summer holidays.

January to June

The year opens with New Year’s Day on 1 January and Australia Day observed on 27 January (since the actual date falls on a Sunday). The Easter period dominates April: Good Friday on 18 April, Easter Saturday on 19 April, Easter Sunday on 20 April, and Easter Monday on 21 April. Easter Saturday and Sunday became public holidays in Queensland following Queensland Government 2017 Holidays Act amendments. Anzac Day lands on 25 April (Friday), observed on its actual date since it falls on a weekday. Labour Day follows on 5 May.

July to December

After a quiet mid-year stretch, August brings the show holiday season. The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) runs from 9 August to 17 August 2025 at Brisbane Showgrounds, with Ekka People’s Day as a public holiday exclusively in Brisbane on (Ekka Official Blog). Other council areas follow their own dates. King’s Birthday arrives Monday 6 October. The year closes with Christmas Eve as a part-day holiday (6pm to midnight on 24 December), Christmas Day on 25 December, and Boxing Day on 26 December.

The catch

Christmas Eve 2025 is a part-day holiday from 6pm to midnight on 24 December—a detail that catches many workers off guard. Retail and hospitality may operate normal hours until 6pm.

What are the QLD school holidays for 2025?

QLD school holidays and public holidays overlap but are managed separately. School term dates are set by the Queensland Department of Education, while public holidays are statutory declarations under the Holidays Act 1983. This means a school holiday does not automatically create a public holiday, and vice versa—though they often coincide.

Term breaks

Queensland school holidays follow a four-term structure with breaks after each term. According to Studiosity QLD School Holidays, the August school holiday period includes Wednesday 13 August 2025 as a holiday date in Brisbane—aligned with Ekka People’s Day but not the same legal instrument.

Public holiday overlaps

The key overlap to watch is Easter: Good Friday and Easter Monday are both public holidays and school holidays, while Easter Saturday and Sunday are public holidays but typically fall within school holidays anyway. Anzac Day (25 April) often aligns with the end of term 1 break in some years, though term dates vary annually.

How many public holidays does QLD get a year?

Queensland typically receives 10 to 11 public holidays annually, depending on regional designation. Seven are national (shared with all states), and three are state-specific. The eleventh comes from a regional show holiday—for 2025, that means Brisbane residents get 11, while regional areas without an August show holiday may only count 10.

Annual average

The national baseline of seven has remained stable, but Queensland’s count fluctuates based on which council areas declare show holidays. The Queensland Government Show Holidays page lists each area’s date, ranging from South Burnett on 11 August to Gold Coast on 29 August.

2025 specifics

For 2025, the national seven run from New Year’s Day through Boxing Day. State-specific Labour Day (5 May) and King’s Birthday (6 October) add two more. The regional show holidays contribute the variable tenth and eleventh. Ekka Official Blog notes the Ekka event attracts roughly 400,000 visitors annually, making it the largest annual event in Queensland.

The upshot

Workers in Brisbane effectively get one more paid day off than those in regional centres without August show holidays. For leave planning, the difference is a three-day weekend around Ekka versus a regular mid-August week.

QLD Public Holidays 2025: Regional Variations

The most distinctive feature of Queensland’s public holiday system is the regional show holiday network. Unlike Victoria or New South Wales, where show holidays are statewide or concentrated in metro areas, Queensland spreads them across dozens of council areas, each aligned to the local agricultural show.

Council Area Show Holiday Date Notes
City of Brisbane Wednesday 13 August 2025 Ekka People’s Day
South Burnett Region Monday 11 August 2025 Royal Queensland Show
Toowoomba Region (Yarraman areas) Monday 11 August 2025 Royal Queensland Show
Western Downs Region (Tara) Monday 11 August 2025 Royal Queensland Show
Shire of Paroo (Cunnamulla) Friday 15 August 2025 Cunnamulla Show
City of Gold Coast Friday 29 August 2025 Gold Coast Show

Six council areas show six different show holiday dates in August 2025 alone. The Queensland Government Show Holidays page provides the authoritative list for all Queensland local government areas. According to Queensland Government Public Holidays, the RNA Show (the Ekka) commences on the first Friday in August unless that first Friday is before 5 August, in which case it begins on the second Friday.

Why this matters

If you live in Brisbane but work for an employer headquartered in South Burnett, your public holiday entitlements may differ from what local Brisbane residents receive. The council area where you physically work—not where you live—determines which show holiday applies.

The implication: cross-border workers and those with employers in a different council area should confirm their applicable show holiday date before booking leave around the August period.

QLD Public Holidays 2025: Clarity on What’s Confirmed and What’s Not

High-confidence verified facts anchor most of Queensland’s 2025 public holiday picture. The dates for national and state holidays come from Queensland Government and Ekka Official, both tier 1 sources. However, some gaps remain in the public record.

Confirmed facts

  • Ekka People’s Day is 13 August 2025, Brisbane only (Ekka Official Blog)
  • Good Friday is 18 April 2025 (VFS Global Brisbane 2025 Holidays PDF)
  • Labour Day is 5 May 2025 (Budget Direct)
  • King’s Birthday is 6 October 2025 (Budget Direct)
  • Easter Saturday and Sunday are public holidays (Budget Direct)
  • Regional show holidays vary by council area (Queensland Government Show Holidays)
  • Easter Sunday has been a public holiday since 2017 (Queensland Government Public Holidays)

What’s unclear

  • Full list of all regional show holiday dates beyond major council areas
  • Exact geographical boundaries for “Brisbane area” in Ekka legislation
  • Employer-by-employer variation on Christmas Eve part-day observance
  • Whether specific regional show dates are updated annually or fixed

“The RNA Show commences on the first Friday in August, unless the first Friday is prior to 5 August, then it commences on the second Friday of August.”

— Queensland Government (Public Holidays Policy)

The pattern: Queensland’s holiday system relies heavily on council-level declarations for show days, creating a fragmented landscape where a single August week can hold public holidays on five or more different dates across the state.

Related reading: Top Golf Gold Coast – 2025 Rankings and Best Courses

Additional sources

jamesst.com.au

Queensland’s 2025 holidays like the Ekka set patterns that continue into 2026-2027 QLD holidays, with similar Brisbane exclusives.

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Frequently asked questions

When is Ekka public holiday in 2025?

Ekka People’s Day is on Wednesday 13 August 2025, exclusively in the Brisbane area. This is the Wednesday of the Royal Queensland Show (which runs 9–17 August 2025) and features the Grand Parade. It does not apply to regional Queensland—those areas observe their own local show holidays on different dates.

Are there public holidays in QLD December 2025?

Yes. Christmas Day is Thursday 25 December 2025, and Boxing Day is Friday 26 December 2025—both core national holidays. Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December) is a part-day public holiday from 6pm to midnight, meaning most workers get a normal workday until evening.

Is Brisbane public holidays 2025 different from other QLD areas?

Brisbane gets the Ekka People’s Day on 13 August 2025, which is not a public holiday in other Queensland council areas. Other statewide holidays (Good Friday, Labour Day, King’s Birthday, Christmas Day, etc.) apply uniformly. Regional areas get their own show holidays on dates tied to local agricultural shows, which may fall before, on, or after Brisbane’s Ekka date.

What public holidays QLD 2026?

Ekka 2026 is scheduled for 8–16 August, with the Brisbane public holiday on Wednesday 12 August 2026. National and state holiday dates for 2026 follow the standard astronomical calculations—New Year’s Day on 1 January, Easter weekend calculated per the standard algorithm, Anzac Day on 25 April, Labour Day on the first Monday in May, King’s Birthday on the first Monday in October, and Christmas/Boxing Day at year-end.

How to get QLD public holidays 2025 PDF?

The VFS Global Brisbane 2025 Holidays PDF provides a printable Brisbane-specific calendar. For official government confirmation, the Queensland Government Public Holidays page lists all statewide dates, and the Queensland Government Show Holidays page lists regional dates by council area.

Qld public holidays 2025 August dates?

August 2025 has multiple public holiday dates depending on location: 11 August in South Burnett, Toowoomba Yarraman areas, and Western Downs Tara; 13 August for Brisbane (Ekka People’s Day); 15 August in Cunnamulla (Shire of Paroo); and 29 August on the Gold Coast. Workers should confirm with their employer which council area’s public holiday applies to their workplace.

Federal holidays impact on QLD?

Federal holidays form the baseline: seven national public holidays apply equally in Queensland as in every other state and territory. Queensland then adds its own state holidays (Labour Day, King’s Birthday) and the patchwork of regional show holidays. There is no separate federal public holiday schedule—federal law sets the national baseline, and state law adds the rest.

For Queensland workers, the takeaway is straightforward: you have at least 10 public holidays guaranteed in 2025, and potentially 11 if your council area observes a regional show holiday. Brisbane residents get the Ekka People’s Day on 13 August, while regional areas follow their own agricultural show calendars. The Queensland Government Public Holidays page and your local council website are the definitive sources for your specific situation.

For Brisbane workers specifically, the Ekka long weekend in August is one of the year’s most reliable three-day breaks—if your employer falls within the Brisbane council boundary. For regional Queenslanders, check your council’s show holiday date before planning any August leave.