NZ public holidays, school terms and long weekends for 2026 and 2027
The next long weekend is Labour Day, Saturday 24 to Monday 26 October 2026. It lands two weeks into Term 4, which starts on Monday 12 October.
Public holidays for 2026 and 2027
These dates come from government pages. Matariki is Friday 10 July 2026 and Friday 25 June 2027. Easter is Good Friday 3 April 2026 and Friday 26 March 2027. Regional anniversary days vary by area, so check yours separately.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Passed | Friday 1 January |
| Day after New Year's Day | Passed | Saturday 2 January (Monday 4 January if you don't usually work weekends) |
| Waitangi Day | Passed | Saturday 6 February (Monday 8 February if you don't usually work weekends) |
| Good Friday | Passed | Friday 26 March |
| Easter Monday | Passed | Monday 29 March |
| ANZAC Day | Passed | Sunday 25 April (Monday 26 April if you don't usually work weekends) |
| King's Birthday | Passed | Monday 7 June |
| Matariki | Passed | Friday 25 June |
| Labour Day | Monday 26 October | Monday 25 October |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Saturday 25 December (Monday 27 December if you don't usually work weekends) |
| Boxing Day | Saturday 26 December (Monday 28 December if you don't usually work weekends) | Sunday 26 December (Tuesday 28 December if you don't usually work weekends) |
When a holiday lands on a weekend
Six holidays can move: New Year's Day, Day after New Year's Day, Waitangi Day, ANZAC Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. If you don't usually work weekends, the holiday moves to a Monday or Tuesday. If you do usually work that weekend day, it stays put. Good Friday, Easter Monday, King's Birthday, Matariki and Labour Day never move.
What it means for your pay
If you don't work, you get paid for the day when it is an "otherwise working day". That means a day you would normally have worked. Casuals and part-timers follow the same test. Your employer works out the pay from what you would have earned that day. If your hours vary, they use your average daily pay over the last 52 weeks.
If you do work on the holiday, you get at least time and a half for the hours worked. Your agreement's penal rates apply if they pay more. If it was an otherwise working day, you also get an alternative holiday, sometimes called a day in lieu.
Worked example. Sam earns $30 an hour and works 8 hours on Labour Day, a normal Monday shift. Time and a half is $45 an hour, so the shift pays $360. Sam also gets a paid alternative holiday, which is worth about $240 for an 8 hour day. Sam's total is $360 for the shift plus a paid day off.
NZ state school terms
- Term 4 2026: Monday 12 October to no later than Friday 18 December.
- Term 1 2027: starts between Thursday 28 January and Thursday 4 February, ends Friday 9 April.
- Term 2 2027: Tuesday 27 April to Friday 2 July.
- Term 3 2027: Monday 19 July to Friday 24 September.
- Term 4 2027: Monday 11 October to no later than Friday 17 December.
Do this next
- Check your roster for Monday 26 October and the Christmas period.
- Ask your boss whether you are working each holiday, and get it in writing.
- Note any alternative holiday you are owed and agree when you will take it.
- Check your payslip for the holiday pay in the right pay period.
- Book 2027 leave early around the long weekends.
The catch
The dates are the easy part. Your pay depends on whether the day was an otherwise working day for you, and that can be argued when hours are irregular. Schools can also set some start dates inside a window, and individual schools may differ. This is general information, not legal advice.
Use our public holidays, school terms and long weekends tool to plan ahead. Then try the sick leave and public holiday pay calculator to check your pay.
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Last reviewed 3 October 2026. Written by The Daily Kiwi from the official pages listed above.