Compare breaks across the years
Long weekends NZ 2026, 2027 and 2028
| Public holiday | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | to 4 days off (Thu 1 to Sun 4 Jan) | to 4 days off (Fri 1 to Mon 4 Jan) | to 4 days off (Sat 1 to Tue 4 Jan) |
| Day after New Year’s Day | to 4 days off (Thu 1 to Sun 4 Jan) | to 4 days off (Fri 1 to Mon 4 Jan) | to 4 days off (Sat 1 to Tue 4 Jan) |
| Waitangi Day | to 3 days off (Fri 6 to Sun 8 Feb) | to 3 days off (Sat 6 to Mon 8 Feb) | to 3 days off (Sat 5 to Mon 7 Feb) |
| Good Friday | to 4 days off (Fri 3 to Mon 6 Apr) | to 4 days off (Fri 26 to Mon 29 Mar) | to 4 days off (Fri 14 to Mon 17 Apr) |
| Easter Monday | to 4 days off (Fri 3 to Mon 6 Apr) | to 4 days off (Fri 26 to Mon 29 Mar) | to 4 days off (Fri 14 to Mon 17 Apr) |
| Anzac Day | to 3 days off (Sat 25 to Mon 27 Apr) | to 3 days off (Sat 24 to Mon 26 Apr) | Tuesday: no long weekend |
| King’s Birthday | to 3 days off (Sat 30 May to Mon 1 Jun) | to 3 days off (Sat 5 to Mon 7 Jun) | to 3 days off (Sat 3 to Mon 5 Jun) |
| Matariki | to 3 days off (Fri 10 to Sun 12 Jul) | to 3 days off (Fri 25 to Sun 27 Jun) | to 3 days off (Fri 14 to Sun 16 Jul) |
| Labour Day | to 3 days off (Sat 24 to Mon 26 Oct) | to 3 days off (Sat 23 to Mon 25 Oct) | to 3 days off (Sat 21 to Mon 23 Oct) |
| Christmas Day | to 4 days off (Fri 25 to Mon 28 Dec) | to 4 days off (Sat 25 to Tue 28 Dec) | not yet published |
| Boxing Day | to 4 days off (Fri 25 to Mon 28 Dec) | to 4 days off (Sat 25 to Tue 28 Dec) | not yet published |
A long weekend here is a stretch of at least three consecutive days made up of weekends and observed national public holidays. The table compares published years holiday by holiday, making it easier to see how the breaks line up. Holidays falling at a weekend are counted on their Mondayised Monday or Tuesday. Each year page adds regional anniversary weekends and shows whether a break falls during term time or school holidays. Entries still awaiting publication are marked "not yet published"; a dash means the holiday creates no long weekend that year.
How long weekends are counted
Only Saturdays, Sundays and national public holidays observed on adjoining days form these runs. No other days off are added. A Mondayised holiday counts on the Monday or Tuesday on which it is observed. Employees who normally work weekends may have a shorter stretch away from work.
Year by year, with the regional anniversary weekends
- Long weekends 20268 runs of three or more days off in date order, each region’s anniversary weekend and the school calendar
- Long weekends 20278 runs of three or more days off in date order, each region’s anniversary weekend and the school calendar
- Long weekends 20286 runs of three or more days off in date order, each region’s anniversary weekend and the school calendar; partly published
- Mondayisationwhen a weekend holiday moves to Monday or Tuesday, and who it applies to
- Anniversary days by regionthe regional public holiday that adds a long weekend in each province
The weekend rule behind the Monday
In the words of Employment New Zealand:
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2 January holiday
These public holidays are observed on the actual day when they fall on a weekday. When they fall on a Saturday/Sunday:
If the employee would have worked on the Saturday/Sunday, the public holiday is observed on the Saturday/Sunday.
If the employee would not have worked on the Saturday/Sunday, the public holiday is observed on the following Monday (or in some cases Tuesday).
Waitangi Day and Anzac Day
The public holidays for ANZAC Day and Waitangi Day are “Mondayised” (moved to the following Monday) if they fall on a Saturday/Sunday and the employee would not have worked on that Saturday/Sunday.
Common questions
- How does this site count a long weekend?
- The count joins Saturdays, Sundays and national public holidays on their observed days into an unbroken stretch lasting three days or longer. Annual leave, bridging days and teacher-only days are excluded. Regional anniversary breaks appear separately on the year pages.
- Does a public holiday at the weekend always mean a longer break?
- No. It depends on which days are normally working days. Employees who would ordinarily work on the Saturday or Sunday observe the holiday then, so their time off may be shorter than the table suggests. The Mondayisation page explains how the rule applies.
- Why might a later year show fewer long weekends?
- Some holidays may still be awaiting publication by Employment New Zealand. Check the table for entries labelled “not yet published”. These gaps mean the information is incomplete, rather than confirming that the year has fewer breaks.
Official sources
- Employment New Zealand: Public holidays and anniversary dates (read )
- Holidays Act 2003 (2003 No 129), sections 44, 45 and 45A, "Version as at 20 December 2023" (New Zealand Legislation) (read )
- Ministry of Education: School terms and holidays dates (read )
- Employment New Zealand: When a public holiday falls on a weekend (read )
Every date here was compared with the official pages on . Should anything differ, the official page is right. How dates are checked.