There is no single national date for the Labour Day public holiday in Australia in 2026. Providing a single confident national date would be wrong.

The exact date depends entirely on where the employee works, as the public holiday is set differently in different parts of the country by state and territory governments. 

Depending on the employee's specific work location, Labour Day (or its regional equivalent) will fall on one of the following dates in 2026:

* **2 March 2026** (First Monday in March): Western Australia
* **9 March 2026** (Second Monday in March): Victoria and Tasmania (known as Eight Hours Day)
* **4 May 2026** (First Monday in May): Queensland and Northern Territory (known as May Day)
* **5 October 2026** (First Monday in October): New South Wales, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory

Because these dates are staggered across March, May, and October, a payroll officer must apply the holiday based strictly on the individual state or territory jurisdiction in which the employee is based.