Public Holiday information for Northern Territory (NT) and Darwin residents and visitors.
The Northern Territory has a combination of statewide public holidays and regional public holidays for local shows in some areas. The areas of the NT that have regional public holidays are Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin and Borroloola.
NT Public Holidays 2023
The holiday list below shows both statewide and regional Northern Territory public holidays.
| Holiday Title | Date | Holiday Type | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Sunday, 1 January 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| New Year’s Day Additional Day | Monday, 2 January 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Australia Day | Thursday, 26 January 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Good Friday | Friday, 7 April 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Day following Good Friday | Saturday, 8 April 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Easter Monday | Monday, 10 April 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Anzac Day | Tuesday, 25 April 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| May Day | Monday, 1 May 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| King’s Birthday | Monday, 12 June 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Alice Springs Show Day | Friday, 7 July 2023 | Regional | Alice Springs |
| Tennant Creek Show Day | Friday, 14 July 2023 | Regional | Tennant Creek |
| Katherine Show Day | Friday, 21 July 2023 | Regional | Katherine |
| Darwin Show Day | Friday, 28 July 2023 | Regional | Darwin |
| Borroloola Show Day | Friday, 18 August 2023 | Regional | Borroloola |
| Picnic Day | Monday, 7 August 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Christmas Eve* | Sunday, 24 December 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Christmas Day | Monday, 25 December 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| Boxing Day | Tuesday, 26 December 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
| New Year’s Eve (Part Day) | Sunday, 31 December 2023 | Public | NT Wide |
Notes:
*In the Northern Territory, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are part-day public holidays (7 pm til midnight).
The Queen’s Birthday public holiday has been replaced by the King’s Birthday public holiday.
Information presented is from NT Government sources.
NT Public Holiday Information
There are a total of seven national public holidays that are observed by every state within Australia. In addition, each state sets their own public holiday dates via their own state or local government.
The national public holidays that are observed throughout all of Australia are:
- New Year’s Day
- Australia Day
- Anzac Day
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
The public holidays that are exclusive to the Northern Territory are:
- May Day
- King’s Birthday
- Picnic Day
- Some local show holidays observed within certain regions
What is May Day in the NT?
May Day is the Northern Territory’s equivalent to Labour Day throughout the rest of Australia (exluding Tasmania where it’s referred to as Eight Hours Day).
May Day commemorates the granting of the eight-hour working day for Australians and recognises worker’s contributions towards the Australian economy.
What is Picnic Day in the NT?
Picnic Day’s meaning and origins are a little sketchy. There are a variety of different theories available on the internet as to what Picnic Day means.
The basic premise of Picnic Day is that it is meant as a day for workers to have a day off and spend it celebrating with a picnic. Picnic Day events date back as far as the late 1800s. In the past, railway employees would hold an annual Union Picnic Day or Trade Picnic Day at Adelaide River.
In more recent times, the Harts Range Races in Central Australia have become a significant Picnic Day event, with some theories stating that the Picnic Day holiday began with the first race meeting at Harts Range Races in 1947, but history shows that Picnic Days were observed much earlier than this.