ANZAC Day 2027

Type of holiday: statutory public holiday, a non-working day.

Anzac Day, observed on 25 April, commemorates the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, the First World War campaign that gave the "Anzac" name its lasting place in national memory. The first commemorative services were held in 1916, on the first anniversary of the landing, while the war itself was still being fought, and the day has been marked in some form every year since — evolving from a day of mourning for a specific campaign into a broader day of remembrance for Australians who have served and died in all wars and peacekeeping operations.

Unlike Australia Day, Anzac Day's observance grew organically from the ground up, driven by returned soldiers and their communities, well before governments formalised it as a uniform public holiday. That grassroots origin is part of why its rituals — the dawn service in particular — remain remarkably consistent across the country.

How it's marked

Dawn services, timed to the hour of the original Gallipoli landing, are held at war memorials in cities and small towns alike, followed by marches of veterans and service members through city centres later in the morning. The Australian War Memorial in Canberra and Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance host some of the largest services. Two-up, a traditional gambling game played by soldiers in the trenches, is legally permitted only on Anzac Day in most states, typically hosted by returned services clubs and pubs under special one-day licences. Football matches, including a marquee AFL fixture, are also traditionally played on the day.

Where it's a public holiday

Anzac Day is a public holiday in every state and territory:

• New South Wales
• Victoria
• Queensland
• Western Australia
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Australian Capital Territory
• Northern Territory

Weekend transfer — a genuine exception

Anzac Day is one of the few holidays where the transfer rule differs sharply between states. In New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, if 25 April falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there is no substitute public holiday on the following Monday — the commemorative date is treated as fixed and non-transferable, reflecting the day's solemn character. In Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory, by contrast, a Saturday or Sunday Anzac Day does trigger an additional public holiday on the Monday. This split regularly causes confusion for anyone assuming Anzac Day behaves like other fixed-date holidays.

Trading restrictions

Anzac Day carries some of the tightest trading rules outside Christmas Day and Good Friday, out of respect for dawn services and morning marches. In most states, shops are required to stay closed until 1pm, after which normal trading resumes; some jurisdictions extend restrictions on specific retail categories for the full day. Pubs and clubs, meanwhile, often open early specifically to host two-up and post-march gatherings, an exception carved out around the day's own traditions rather than against them.