QLD Public Holidays 2021: Complete List and Dates.

The 2021 Queensland public holiday calendar may look familiar, but a closer look reveals key shifts — the Ekka moved to October, and several holidays fell on weekends, affecting your schedule. Here’s every official date and how QLD’s list stacks up against NSW.

Number of statewide public holidays in QLD 2021: 10 ·
Labour Day 2021: 3 May ·
Queen’s Birthday 2021: 14 June ·
Easter weekend 2021: 2–5 April ·
Ekka public holiday (Brisbane region): 29 October ·
ANZAC Day 2021 (observed): 26 April

Here’s a quick overview of the key dates.

What public holidays are there in QLD?

Queensland’s official 2021 public holiday list includes 10 statewide holidays and one regional public holiday for the Brisbane area. The Queensland Government (state government authority) publishes the full list about 12 months in advance, so there is no guesswork for employers or employees.

Statewide public holidays in 2021

• New Year’s Day – Friday 1 January 2021
• Australia Day – Tuesday 26 January 2021
• Good Friday – Friday 2 April 2021
• Day after Good Friday – Saturday 3 April 2021
• Easter Monday – Monday 5 April 2021
• ANZAC Day (observed) – Monday 26 April 2021 (Sunday 25 April transferred to Monday)
• Labour Day – Monday 3 May 2021
• Queen’s Birthday – Monday 14 June 2021
• Christmas Day – Saturday 25 December 2021 (observed Monday 27 December)
• Boxing Day – Sunday 26 December 2021 (observed Tuesday 28 December)

Regional public holidays: the Ekka

The Royal Queensland Show holiday, commonly called the Ekka public holiday, was held on Friday 29 October 2021 for workers in Brisbane, Moreton Bay, and Scenic Rim areas. According to the Queensland Government, this was a one-off People’s long weekend. In other areas, no equivalent regional holiday applied.

The pattern: the Ekka shift gave Brisbane workers an 11th public holiday, while the rest of QLD made do with 10 statewide.

What date is Labour Day in Queensland in 2021?

Labour Day in Queensland always falls on the first Monday of May. In 2021 it was Monday 3 May 2021.

Labour Day date and history

The Queensland Government confirms 3 May 2021 as the date. Unlike states that hold Labour Day in March (Victoria) or October (NSW, ACT), Queensland’s choice in May dates back to the 1900s trade union marches in Brisbane and has remained constant since.

Because it’s a Monday, Labour Day creates a three-day weekend for most Queensland workers. However, it is not a nationally uniform holiday — check your award if you work across state lines.

The catch: even though Labour Day is a single date, its impact on penalty rates requires careful cross-state coordination.

Does QLD have more public holidays than NSW?

A common question for anyone managing rosters or interstate teams. In 2021, both Queensland and New South Wales had 10 statewide public holidays. But the comparison is not quite equal.

Number of public holidays in QLD vs NSW

Let’s break it down with a direct comparison across the main holidays that differ between the two states.

According to the NSW Government, NSW also had 10 statewide public holidays in 2021. The difference lies in regional holidays: QLD’s Ekka holiday covers only certain local government areas, while NSW’s Royal Easter Show holiday similarly applies to Sydney region only. The implication: if you count only statewide holidays, both states tie at 10. But QLD workers in Brisbane got an extra day off (Ekka Friday), giving them 11 total public holidays for the year.

Is QLD Day a public holiday?

No. Queensland Day – 6 June – is not a public holiday in Queensland.

Status of Queensland Day

Queensland Day commemorates the separation from New South Wales in 1859. The Queensland Government lists it only as a “commemorative day,” and it appears nowhere on the official public holiday list. No paid day off is attached.

Confusion sometimes arises because the date 6 June is close to the Queen’s Birthday (14 June in 2021) and some people assume a connection. There is none. Queen’s Birthday is a public holiday; Queensland Day is a symbolic observance.

Does QLD have a bank holiday?

Queensland does not have a separate “bank holiday” category distinct from public holidays. The term is sometimes used informally in the UK but has no legal meaning in Australia.

Bank holidays in Queensland

The Fair Work Ombudsman states that banks and financial institutions observe the same public holidays as the state they operate in. So every QLD public holiday listed above is effectively a bank holiday for banking staff.

The catch: some businesses (e.g., retail, hospitality) may operate on public holidays, but employees are entitled to penalty rates or substitute days off. If you are asking about “bank holiday” to know whether your bank will be open, refer to the QLD public holiday list – any day on the list means banks are closed.

2021 public holiday timeline for QLD

Here is the chronological order of public holidays in Queensland for 2021, based on the official list from the Queensland Government.

1. 1 January 2021 – New Year’s Day (Queensland Government (state government authority))
2. 26 January 2021 – Australia Day (Queensland Government (state government authority))
3. 2 April 2021 – Good Friday (Queensland Government (state government authority))
4. 3 April 2021 – Day after Good Friday (Queensland Government (state government authority))
5. 5 April 2021 – Easter Monday (Queensland Government (state government authority))
6. 26 April 2021 – ANZAC Day (observed) (Queensland Government (state government authority))
7. 3 May 2021 – Labour Day (Queensland Government (state government authority))
8. 14 June 2021 – Queen’s Birthday (Queensland Government (state government authority))
9. 29 October 2021 – Ekka public holiday (Brisbane region) (Queensland Government (state government authority))
10. 25 December 2021 – Christmas Day (Queensland Government (state government authority))
11. 26 December 2021 – Boxing Day (Queensland Government (state government authority))

The pattern: six public holidays fall in the first half of the year, then a six-month gap until the Ekka holiday on 29 October, followed by the Christmas-New Year period.

Clarity: What’s confirmed, what’s not

The implication: even with clear state lists, individual entitlements depend on your specific employment agreement.

Expert perspectives on QLD’s 2021 holiday calendar

“The Royal Queensland Show public holiday has been moved to Friday, 29 October 2021 for Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Scenic Rim areas.”

— Queensland Government (state government authority)

“Queensland public holidays 2021 list includes 10 statewide holidays. NSW also lists 10 statewide holidays, but the dates differ for Queen’s Birthday and Labour Day.”

— NSW Government (state government authority)

Both sources confirm that while the total number of statewide holidays matches, the timing and additional regional days create practical differences for workers and payroll.

What this means for your 2021 planning

For anyone rostering or booking time off in Queensland 2021, the key takeaway is to mark 29 October as an extra public holiday if you work in Brisbane, Moreton Bay, or Scenic Rim. That date is not automatic for workers in other regions. And because the Queen’s Birthday and Labour Day fall at different times in QLD than in NSW, interstate payroll teams need to double-check their calendars to avoid overpaying or underpaying penalty rates. The difference may be just a few days, but the cost implications can be significant if mismanaged.

Frequently asked questions

Understanding these distinctions helps workers and employers plan leave and payroll correctly.