Compare school terms and holidays across Australia in 2026
This comparison of all states and territories spans multiple pages.
| Period | NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer holidays before Term 1 | Mon 22 Dec 2025 to Mon 26 Jan 202636 days, official dates only | Sat 20 Dec 2025 to Tue 27 Jan 202639 days off school, derived | not published | Fri 19 Dec 2025 to Sun 1 Feb 202645 days off school, derived | Sat 13 Dec 2025 to Mon 26 Jan 202645 days off school, derived | not published | not published | not published |
| Term 1 | Mon 2 Feb to Thu 2 Apr | Wed 28 Jan to Thu 2 Apr | Tue 27 Jan to Thu 2 Apr | Mon 2 Feb to Thu 2 Apr | Tue 27 Jan to Fri 10 Apr | Thu 5 Feb to Fri 17 Apr | Fri 30 Jan to Thu 2 Apr | Thu 29 Jan to Thu 2 Apr |
| Holidays after Term 1 | Tue 7 Apr to Fri 17 Apr19 days off school | Fri 3 Apr to Sun 19 Apr17 days off school, derived | Fri 3 Apr to Sun 19 Apr17 days off school | Fri 3 Apr to Sun 19 Apr17 days off school | Sat 11 Apr to Sun 26 Apr16 days off school | Sat 18 Apr to Sun 3 May16 days off school | Fri 3 Apr to Mon 20 Apr18 days off school, derived | Fri 3 Apr to Mon 13 Apr11 days off school, derived |
| Term 2 | Wed 22 Apr to Fri 3 Jul | Mon 20 Apr to Fri 26 Jun | Mon 20 Apr to Fri 26 Jun | Mon 20 Apr to Fri 3 Jul | Mon 27 Apr to Fri 3 Jul | Mon 4 May to Fri 10 Jul | Tue 21 Apr to Fri 3 Jul | Tue 14 Apr to Fri 19 Jun |
| Holidays after Term 2 | Mon 6 Jul to Fri 17 Jul17 days off school | Sat 27 Jun to Sun 12 Jul16 days off school, derived | Sat 27 Jun to Sun 12 Jul16 days off school | Sat 4 Jul to Sun 19 Jul16 days off school | Sat 4 Jul to Sun 19 Jul16 days off school | Sat 11 Jul to Sun 26 Jul16 days off school | Sat 4 Jul to Mon 20 Jul17 days off school, derived | Sat 20 Jun to Mon 13 Jul24 days off school, derived |
| Term 3 | Tue 21 Jul to Fri 25 Sep | Mon 13 Jul to Fri 18 Sep | Mon 13 Jul to Fri 18 Sep | Mon 20 Jul to Fri 25 Sep | Mon 20 Jul to Fri 25 Sep | Mon 27 Jul to Fri 2 Oct | Tue 21 Jul to Fri 25 Sep | Tue 14 Jul to Fri 18 Sep |
| Holidays after Term 3 | Mon 28 Sep to Fri 9 Oct17 days off school | Sat 19 Sep to Sun 4 Oct16 days off school, derived | Sat 19 Sep to Mon 5 Oct17 days off school | Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct16 days off school | Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct16 days off school | Sat 3 Oct to Sun 18 Oct16 days off school | Sat 26 Sep to Mon 12 Oct17 days off school, derived | Sat 19 Sep to Mon 5 Oct17 days off school, derived |
| Term 4 | Tue 13 Oct to Thu 17 Dec | Mon 5 Oct to Fri 18 Dec | Tue 6 Oct to Fri 11 Dec | Mon 12 Oct to Thu 17 Dec | Mon 12 Oct to Fri 11 Dec | Mon 19 Oct to Fri 18 Dec | Tue 13 Oct to Fri 18 Dec | Tue 6 Oct to Thu 10 Dec |
| Summer holidays | Fri 18 Dec 2026 to Wed 27 Jan 202747 days off school | Mon 21 Dec 2026 to Wed 27 Jan 202740 days off school | Sat 12 Dec 2026 to Tue 26 Jan 202746 days off school | Fri 18 Dec 2026 to Sun 31 Jan 202745 days off school, derived | not yet settled | Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Wed 3 Feb 202747 days off school, derived | Sat 19 Dec 2026 to Sun 31 Jan 202744 days off school, derived | Fri 11 Dec 2026 to Tue 26 Jan 202747 days off school, derived |
Read across the comparison table for government school calendars around Australia in 2026. Available calendars show each term, the break that follows and its length. The overlap table shows the earliest and latest start of each break and any days shared by all calendars included. This helps families compare calendars when children or relatives live across state borders. States awaiting publication are marked clearly, with no substitute dates. Where a calendar has separate divisions, the division label identifies the dates used in the comparison.
Where the breaks overlap
| Break | Earliest start | Latest start | Shared holiday dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holidays after Term 1 | NSW: Friday 3 April 2026 | TAS: Saturday 18 April 2026 | no common day |
| Holidays after Term 2 | NT: Saturday 20 June 2026 | TAS: Saturday 11 July 2026 | 2 days: Saturday 11 July 2026 to Sunday 12 July 2026 (8 of 8 included in this comparison) |
| Holidays after Term 3 | VIC: Saturday 19 September 2026 | TAS: Saturday 3 October 2026 | 2 days: Saturday 3 October 2026 to Sunday 4 October 2026 (8 of 8 included in this comparison) |
| Summer holidays | NT: Friday 11 December 2026 | ACT: Saturday 19 December 2026 | 39 days: Saturday 19 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027 (7 of 8 included in this comparison) |
Holiday days and school weeks by state
| State or territory | Holiday days | School weeks | Full tables |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 100 | 40 (calculated) | NSW term dates 2026 |
| Northern Territory | 99 | 39 (calculated) | NT term dates 2026 |
| Queensland | 96 | 40 (published) | QLD term dates 2026 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 96 | 40 (calculated) | ACT term dates 2026 |
| Tasmania | 95 | 39 (calculated) | TAS term dates 2026 |
| Western Australia | 94 | 40 (calculated) | WA term dates 2026 |
| Victoria | 89 | 40 (calculated) | VIC term dates 2026 |
| South Australia | 48 without the summer holidays (dates not yet settled) | 40 (calculated) | SA term dates 2026 |
Questions and answers
Which states have overlapping school holidays in 2026?
The overlap table shows any school holiday dates shared by all calendars included for 2026. To compare particular states, read their columns in the comparison table; some calendars may be missing.
Why is a state's calendar missing from the 2026 comparison?
A state's 2026 calendar may not yet have been published, or it may have been published but not yet collected for this site. A period may also be withheld if official sources disagree. Check the note beside the missing dates.
Which division is used when comparing school calendars for 2026?
The 2026 comparison uses the NSW eastern division calendar. The eastern and western divisions start the school year on different dates, so check the division label when comparing summer holidays.
Sources
- NSW Department of Education: 2026 term dates, school holidays and school development days (read on )
- NSW Department of Education: 2027 term dates, school holidays and school development days (read on )
- Victorian Department of Education (vic.gov.au): School term dates and holidays in Victoria (read on )
- Queensland Department of Education: Term dates (read on )
- Queensland Department of Education: Future school dates (read on )
- WA Department of Education: Term dates (Government Gazette dates) (read on )
- WA Department of Education: Past term dates (read on )
- SA Department for Education: Term dates for South Australian state schools (read on )
- Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People: School terms and holidays (read on )
- ACT Government: Public holidays, school terms and daylight saving (read on )
- ACT Government: Public holidays, school terms and daylight saving (read on )
- NT Government: School term and holiday dates in NT, 2026 (read on )
- NT Government: School term and holiday dates in NT, future term dates 2027-2032 (read on )
Dates on this page were last checked against the official pages on . If any dates differ, follow the official page.