Public Holidays Tasmania

*This public holiday is observed only in the Devonport region of Tasmania.

Held on the second Wednesday of January, the Devonport Cup has been celebrated in Tasmania since 1902, with only a short disruption during World War Two. The event welcomes over 6,500 visitors each year and is considered one of the premier races in Tasmania.

*This public holiday is observed only in the southern region of Tasmania.

Held on the second Monday of each February, the Royal Hobart Regatta has been celebrated since 1838 and is Tasmania’s oldest sporting event. The Regatta runs for three days and hosts events in sailing, rowing, open water swimming, wood chopping, Jet Ski and dragon boat racing.

The Regatta also includes sideshow entertainment, amusement park rides, live music and firework displays over the long weekend.

*This public holiday is observed only in Launceston and the surrounding regions in Tasmania and has further time restrictions for specific areas.

The Launceston Cup is the third Wednesday of each February and dates back to 1865. The Cup is a Group 3 open handicap thoroughbred horse race over 2,400 metres. Over 16,000 attendees watch the race each year, experiencing the food and drink marquees and competing for prizes awarded to those best dressed.

*This public holiday is observed only in the King Island region of Tasmania.

The King Island Show is held on the first Tuesday of March each year to showcase the region’s agricultural, horticultural and pastoral accomplishments. Since 1910, King Island has welcomed visitors from the mainland to showcase their wares in various exhibitions and contests.

King Island is famous for the quality of its cheese and beef. They form a large portion of the competitions, in addition to wool judging and horse-riding displays.

Known as Labour Day in other states and territories, Eight Hour Day is the annual celebration of the modern eight-hour working day, implemented in the 19th century. The public holiday recognises the workers who struggled to improve the working conditions for all Australians.

*This public holiday is observed only by the public sector in Tasmania.

Tasmania is the only state in Australia to observe the Tuesday after Easter as a public holiday. It is a trade-off day, as Easter Sunday is not a public holiday in the state. There is significant debate about whether the public holiday should be removed from the calendar or implemented across all working sectors in Tasmania.

*This public holiday is observed only in the Circular Head region of Tasmania.

AGFEST has four multi-award-winning agricultural field days organised by the Rural Youth Organisation of Tasmania.

The field day has grown to attract 60,000 visitors across 750 exhibitions over the three-day weekend. These include dairy exhibitions, horse jumping, four-wheel driving, sheep-dog trials and arts and crafts exhibitions.

*This public holiday is observed only in the Burnie region of Tasmania.

Originating in 1913, the Burnie Show is across the first Friday and Saturday of October, with over 12,000 visitors passing through each year.

It takes place at the Wivenhoe Showgrounds on Smith Street. The exhibitions showcase the best the region has in categories such as produce, animals, home arts, and cultural and commercial fields.

*This public holiday is observed only in the Launceston region of Tasmania.

The Royal National Agricultural and Pastoral Society of Tasmania Limited has held an agricultural show in Launceston since 1873. But, the event was only named The Royal Launceston Show in 1984. It's across Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but only Thursday is a public holiday.

It holds livestock judging, equestrian events, animal breeder competitions, produce competitions and wood chopping.

*This public holiday is observed only in the Flinders Island region of Tasmania.

The Flinders Island Show is on the third Friday of October each year. Demonstrating the best the Island has to offer in agriculture and other attractions.

The most popular sporting events are the equestrian and wood chopping competitions, while the exhibitions showcase local produce, cooking, and other home goods.

*This public holiday is observed only in Hobart and the surrounding region in Tasmania.

Taking place on the last Thursday of October, this public holiday is in honour of the Royal Hobart Show and has been held annually since 1822. Stretching across four days, Wednesday through to Saturday, it is the largest of the Royal Shows held in the state and is often compared to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

It boasts a range of attractions, including livestock competitions, carnival rides and games.

*This public holiday is observed only in the northern region of Tasmania.

Recreation Day is held on the first Monday of November in the northern regions of Tasmania to offset Regatta Day held in the southern regions. There has been much dispute over whether the two public holidays should be aligned. There is no historical or cultural significance attached to this day.

*This public holiday is observed only in the Devonport region of Tasmania.

The public holiday is held on the final Friday of November to celebrate the Devonport Show held across Friday and Saturday. It has taken place since 1907 on the Devonport Showgrounds. Several attractions are on offer including carnival rides, fireworks, and fashion parades.