Planning the right date to host an event can be tricky. No one wants to announce a fantastic networking event, only to discover you’ve booked it the day before a long weekend when everyone is leaving town. Or that your nation-wide conference lands on the same week that every hotel in town is full for a major sporting event.
To help you plan ahead for locking in venues and dates in 2020, we’ve compiled a list of key dates around Australia to help you avoid schedule conflicts or even join in the party with your own themed event.
Australian Public Holidays 2020
| Date of public holiday | Holiday Observed | States |
| Tuesday 1 January 2020 | New Year’s Day | National |
| Sunday 26 January 2020 | Australia Day | National |
| Monday 27 January 2020 | Australia Day (observed) | National |
| Monday 2 March 2020 | Labour Day | WA |
| Monday 9 March 2020 | Canberra Day (ACT) Adelaide Cup Day (SA) Eight Hour Day (TAS) Labour Day (VIC) |
ACT/SA/ TAS/VIC |
| Friday 10 April 2020 | Good Friday | National |
| Sunday 12 April 2020 | Easter Sunday | National |
| Monday 13 April 2020 | Easter Monday | National |
| Tuesday 14 April 2020 | Easter Tuesday | TAS (limited) |
| Saturday 25 April 2020 | ANZAC Day | National |
| Monday 4 May 2020 | May Day (NT) Labour Day (QLD) |
NT/QLD |
| Monday 1 June 2020 | Reconciliation Day | ACT |
| Monday 1 June 2020 | Western Australia Day | WA |
| Monday 8 June 2020 | Queen’s Birthday | ACT/NSW/NT /SA/TAS/VIC |
| Friday 24 July 2020 | Darwin Show Day | NT (Darwin only) |
| Monday 3 August 2020 | Picnic Day | NT |
| Wednesday 12 August 2020 | Brisbane Show Day (Ekka) | QLD (Brisbane only) |
| Friday 25 September 2020 | AFL Grand Final Friday | VIC |
| Monday 28 September 2020 | Queen’s Birthday | WA |
| Monday 5 October 2020 | Labour Day (ACT/NSW/SA) Queen’s Birthday (QLD) |
ACT/NSW/QLD/SA |
| Monday 2 November 2020 | Recreation Day | TAS |
| Tuesday 3 November 2020 | Melbourne Cup | VIC |
| Friday 25 December 2020 | Christmas Day | National |
| Saturday 26 December 2020 | Boxing Day | National |
Seasonal and cultural celebrations 2020
| Saturday 25 January 2020 | Chinese New Year |
| Friday 14 February 2020 | Valentine’s Day |
| Tuesday 25 February 2020 | Carnival/Shrove Tuesday |
| Tuesday 17 March 2020 | St. Patrick’s Day |
| Mid-April 2020 | Easter |
| 10 – 13 April 2020 | Songkran – Thai New Year |
| Friday 24 April 2020 | Ramadan begins |
| Tuesday 5 May 2020 | Cinco de Mayo |
| Sunday 10 May 2020 | Mother’s Day |
| Wednesday 30 June 2020 | End of Financial Year |
| Saturday 4 July 2020 | Independence Day (USA) |
| Tuesday 14 July 2020 | Bastille Day |
| Sunday 6 September 2020 | Father’s Day |
| 19 September – 4 October 2020 | Oktoberfest |
| Sunday 27 September 2020 | Yom Kippur |
| Saturday 31 October 2020 | Halloween |
| Wednesday 11 November 2020 | Remembrance Day |
| Saturday 14 November 2020 | Diwali/Deepavali |
| December | Christmas, Hanukkah, and EOY |
Major Festivals and Events in Australia 2020
| Date | Event | City |
| 8 – 26 January 2020 | Sydney Festival | Sydney |
| 20 January – 2 February 2020 | Australian Open | Melbourne |
| 3 February 2020 | Super Bowl | N/A |
| 14 February – 1 March 2020 | Mardi Gras Festival | Sydney |
| 14 February – 15 March 2020 | Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival | Adelaide |
| TBC | White Night / Melbourne International Art Festival | Melbourne |
| 6 – 9 March 2020 | Moomba Festival | Melbourne |
| 12 – 15 March 2020 | Formula 1 Grand Prix | Melbourne |
| 25 March – 19 April 2020 | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | Melbourne |
| 11 – 15 May 2020 | Fashion Week Australia | National |
| TBC | Aussie Wine Month | National |
| 15 – 24 May 2020 | Good Beer Week | Melbourne |
| May 2 – 13 June 2020 | Vivid Sydney | Sydney |
| 3 June 2020 21 June 2020 8 July 2020 |
State of Origin | Perth Sydney Brisbane |
| 8 August 2020 15 August 2020 17 October 2020 |
Bledisloe Cup | Melbourne TBC Brisbane |
| September 2020 | Football Fever – AFL and NRL Grand Finals | National |
| November 2020 | Spring Racing Carnival | Melbourne |
Please note: Dates are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Want more local event inspiration? Head to eventbrite.com.au to browse popular and upcoming events in your city.
Hack the calendar in 2020 and find fun dates to host unique events that go against the status quo with this handy guide: 365 Reasons to Get Together in 2020
