Term BreakSchool holidays and term dates across Australia

School holidays in the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory ACT

School's in

days to go

Summer school holidays: to . School goes back on (New students ; Continuing students ).

Canberra time · status as at

ACT calendar facts for 2026

First day of school
Friday 30 January 2026New students Friday 30 January 2026; Continuing students Monday 2 February 2026
Last day of school
Friday 18 December 2026
School weeksderived
40counted here from the term dates, Monday to Friday
Days in listed school holidays beginning in 2026derived
96 days
Breaks starting in the year shown
Holiday periods beginning in 2026: 4
Weekdays off between termsderived
34 weekdays within breaks between terms, excluding summer
School holiday comparison for 2026derived
Weekdays off between terms: most in NSW (35), fewest in SA and TAS (30); calendars compared: 8
Longest break starting in the year shown, with published datesderived
Summer school holidays: 30 weekdays, spanning 44 days overall
Shortest school breakderived
School holidays after Term 3: 11 weekdays across 17 days in total
Public holidays within school breaksderived
Territory-wide public holiday dates in 2026: 10 of 15 within school holidays
Long weekends during 2026derived
8 long weekends from territory-wide public holidays; in term time: 4

A derived label marks a figure calculated here from official dates; the official source does not publish the figure itself.

Find published term dates and school holidays for the Australian Capital Territory, organised by year. The countdown uses local time in the Australian Capital Territory to show how long until the next break or return to school. Open a year page for the full tables, first days back and any pupil-free days published centrally by the education department. Public holidays have their own pages, making it easier to distinguish them from the breaks between terms. These calendars cover government schools; independent and Catholic schools may use different dates, so check your school's calendar before making family plans.

School holidays in the ACT year by year

2026

  • School holidays after Term 1: Friday 3 April 2026 to Monday 20 April 2026 (18 days, derived from the term dates)
  • School holidays after Term 2: Saturday 4 July 2026 to Monday 20 July 2026 (17 days, derived from the term dates)
  • School holidays after Term 3: Saturday 26 September 2026 to Monday 12 October 2026 (17 days, derived from the term dates)
  • Summer school holidays: Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 31 January 2027 (44 days, derived from the term dates)

Term dates 2026 in the ACT: all four terms and their lengths

Compare the ACT with other states and territories: Easter school holidays 2026 and Christmas school holidays 2026.

2027

  • Summer school holidays (before Term 1): Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 31 January 2027 (44 days, derived from the term dates)
  • School holidays after Term 1: Saturday 10 April 2027 to Tuesday 27 April 2027 (18 days, derived from the term dates)
  • School holidays after Term 2: Saturday 3 July 2027 to Monday 19 July 2027 (17 days, derived from the term dates)
  • School holidays after Term 3: Saturday 25 September 2027 to Monday 11 October 2027 (17 days, derived from the term dates)

Term dates 2027 in the ACT: all four terms and their lengths

Compare the ACT with other states and territories: Easter school holidays 2027 and Christmas school holidays 2027.

2028: not yet published

Awaiting the official dates

School holidays 2028 in the ACT: These dates have not yet been published by the ACT Education Directorate. They will appear here once the official page lists them and verification is complete. Missing dates are not filled in with estimates.

Next public holidays in the ACT

Next long weekend in the ACT: Christmas, Friday 25 December to Monday 28 December 2026 (4 days); every long weekend: Long weekends in 2026, Long weekends in 2027.

Pupil-free days in the ACT

No territory-wide pupil-free days are listed on the term dates page of the ACT Education Directorate; schools announce their own. See the pupil-free days overview for how each state and territory handles them.

Test and exam dates in the ACT

Questions and answers

When do the next school holidays start in the ACT?

Summer school holidays in the ACT: Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 31 January 2027; back at school Monday 1 February 2027 (New students Monday 1 February 2027; Continuing students Tuesday 2 February 2027). The countdown above updates each day using local time in the Australian Capital Territory. Select a year in the year-by-year section for every published school break and the first day back.

Do all schools in the Australian Capital Territory follow these dates?

No. These dates cover government schools in the Australian Capital Territory. Catholic and independent schools often follow similar terms but can set their own calendars. Check your school's calendar for its dates and any pupil-free days.

How far ahead are school dates available for the ACT?

Term dates for the ACT are published for 2026 and 2027. Later years will appear once the education department publishes them. Check the year headings above to see which calendars for the Australian Capital Territory are not yet published.

Sources

Dates on this page were last checked against the official pages on . If any dates differ, follow the official page.