New Zealand anniversary days 2026 and 2027

New Zealand has 12 statutory provincial anniversary days, listed in section 44 of the Holidays Act 2003. They trace back to the original 19th-century New Zealand provinces. Each modern region observes one of them by convention, on top of the 11 nationwide public holidays.

It depends on which colonial province your modern region sits inside. For example, Northland and Waikato both observe Auckland Anniversary Day. Use the picker at the top of this page to find the conventional answer for your region. If you live near a regional border or your employer follows a different practice, check your employment agreement.

Mostly no. The Holidays Act lists the 12 anniversary days but does not draw modern administrative boundaries around them. Coverage outside the historic provincial boundary is custom and practice. If your employer follows a different convention, that practice usually wins, so always check your employment agreement.

Northland was never a 19th-century colonial province, so it has no statutory anniversary day under the Holidays Act 2003. Between 1963 and 1976, Waitangi Day was Northland's local holiday. The Waitangi Day Act 1976 made Waitangi Day a nationwide public holiday, and Northland workers reverted to observing Auckland Anniversary Day, which has been settled practice since.

Southland Anniversary Day is the only anniversary day tied to a movable feast. It is observed on Easter Tuesday each year, so the date moves with Easter.

No. Workers in the Timaru, Mackenzie and Waimate districts observe South Canterbury Anniversary Day on the fourth Monday of September. Workers everywhere else in Canterbury observe Canterbury Anniversary Day (Show Day) in November. You get one or the other, not both.