As ANZAC Day (25 April) falls on a Saturday in 2026, the public holiday will be observed on the following Monday (27 April).
Michael Pettersson MLA, Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety, said the decision provides consistency when ANZAC Day lands on a weekend.
“ANZAC Day will always be commemorated on 25 April, and all commemorative activities will occur on the Saturday as usual,” Mr Pettersson said.
“Moving the observance of the public holiday to the Monday is an administrative change that doesn’t changing the meaning of ANZAC Day and moves it in line with other days of national significance.
“Above all, ANZAC Day is one of the most significant days in our national calendar and is a time to reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who fought.”
The next time ANZAC Day fell on a Saturday would be in 2037 — an infrequent occurrence — and 2026 would have the same total number of public holidays falling on weekdays as in 2025.
Both the Ministerial Advisory Council for Veterans and their Families and the Australian Hotels Association ACT Branch supported the change.
However, the Canberra Business Chamber criticised the change, arguing it would impose significant extra costs on employers.
CEO Greg Harford said the Chamber “fully supports the importance of recognising ANZAC Day”, but claimed that the shift “does little other than create extra costs for business at a time when many businesses are already facing challenging times”.
“This is not just an administrative change – it drives real cost to the economy,” he said. “While people who work Monday to Friday will enjoy an extra public holiday next year as a result of the decision, it comes at a substantive cost to private sector employers. The practice is out of step with practice in most other states, and does not support improved productivity here in the ACT.”
Mr Harford said the Chamber advised the government against the move, and was disappointed in Mr Pettersson’s decision.
A government spokesperson said: “We appreciate the views of the Canberra Business Chamber that they shared in this process.”
