The Victorian public holidays to put in your diary for 2024 (and how to maximise your time off)

With all these public holidays in 2024, here are also some handy tips on how to maximise your annual leave for the year.

Oh how we love a public holiday: the opportunity hit pause, unwind, and let loose.

For those keen for more than just fleeting weekends, Victoria’s public holidays in 2024 offer a swathe of of extended breaks to dance through the year. With five long weekends and a sprinkle of strategic annual leave, you can actually turn 20 days into a grand symphony of 58 days of holiday bliss.

So, grab your calendar, mark these dates, and let the orchestrating of your 2024 escapes begin.

Victorian Public Holiday Dates in 2024

• January: Australia Day/Invasion Day – Friday, January 26
• March: Labour Day – Monday, March 11; Good Friday – Friday, March 29; Saturday before Easter Sunday – Saturday, March 30; Easter Sunday – Sunday, March 31
• April: Easter Monday – Monday, April 1; ANZAC Day – Thursday, April 25
• June: King’s Birthday – Monday, June 10
• September: Friday before AFL Grand Final – Friday, September 27
• November: Melbourne Cup Day – Tuesday, November 5
• December: Christmas Day – Wednesday, December 25; Boxing Day – Thursday, December 26

How to maximise your annual leave in 2024

1. Australia Day/Invasion Day – January 26: Enjoy a long weekend without needing additional leave as this public holiday falls on a Friday. If you feel like a four-day break though, take Monday, January 29th off and roll on into into a four-day working week.
2. Easter – March 29 to April 1: You can get a ten-day break (March 29 – April 7) by taking off four days in April if you take Tuesday, April 2 – Friday, April 5 off work.
3. ANZAC Day – April 25: Take advantage of a nine-day holiday by booking leave for Monday, April 22 to Wednesday, April 24, and Friday, April 26.
4. King’s Birthday – June 10: Plan a nine-day holiday by booking leave for the following four days, Tuesday, June 11 – Friday, June 14.
5. AFL Grand Final – September 27: Take off the following week and enjoy a ten-day holiday with just five days of leave.
6. Melbourne Cup Day – November 5: While it falls on a Tuesday, consider using your leave strategically for other dates.
7. Christmas Season – December 23 to January 3: Secure a 16-day holiday by booking leave from Monday, December 23 until Friday, January 3, including weekends.

Obviously this kind of wizardry can only be achieved with timely planning! Reach out to your manager ASAP to secure these prime holiday dates before your colleagues beat you to it.

Extra Things To Note

ANZAC Day, Good Friday and Christmas Day are restricted trading days.

Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday across all of Victoria unless alternate local holiday has been arranged by a non-metro council.

Victorian 2024 school holidays