Public Holidays and Restricted Trading - Easter 2026
Easter and ANZAC Day are fast approaching, so it’s important to understand your obligations related to public holidays and restricted trading.
Public Holidays
A complete list of the 2026 Public Holidays for Victoria can be found at the Business Victoria Website. The site also includes the 2027 and 2028 dates to help you plan ahead.
Good Friday - Friday 3 April 2026
Saturday before Easter Sunday - Saturday 4 April
Easter Sunday - Sunday 5 April
Easter Monday - Monday 6 April
ANZAC Day - Saturday 25 April
(ANZAC Day, Good Friday and Christmas Day are restricted trading days. ANZAC Day is commemorated on the day it falls. There is no replacement holiday when ANZAC Day falls on a weekend.)
Restricted Trading
Under Victorian law there are two-and-a-half restricted trading days each year:
Good Friday
Christmas Day
ANZAC Day between 12.01am and 1pm.
On these days, only exempt shops are permitted to open.
Exemptions apply to shops such as chemists, petrol stations, restaurants, takeaway outlets and cafés. There are also exemptions dependent on the number of employees that you have.
Head to the Business Victoria Website to confirm whether your business can trade.
Paying your staff
So now you’re aware of which days are public holidays and whether you can trade.
You also need to ensure that you are paying your staff correctly for these days.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has prepared a guide to rules and entitlements during the end of year holiday season, covering items such as shutdown periods, annual leave, employees required to work on public holidays and even employees who don’t work.