Public holidays and late-night travel in Australia
Which public holidays affect buses and trains, why the dates differ between states, and what is left of the timetable late at night and at weekends in the big cities and in regional towns.
- Updated: 24 October 2026
- 2 min read
- Buses editorial team
Which public holidays affect buses and trains, why the dates differ between states, and what is left of the timetable late at night and at weekends in the big cities and in regional towns.
National and state holidays
Public holidays observed across Australia include New Year's Day, Australia Day on 26 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day on 25 April, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Other holidays differ by state: the King's Birthday is in June in most states but later in the year in Queensland and Western Australia, and Labour Day falls on different dates around the country.
There are also local holidays, such as Melbourne Cup Day in metropolitan Melbourne in November the Royal Queensland Show holiday in Brisbane in August and Canberra Day in the ACT in March.
Timetables on public holidays
On most public holidays buses and trains run to a Sunday or Saturday timetable, and some networks publish special timetables for Christmas Day and Good Friday, when service can be reduced or, on some regional routes, suspended. On Anzac Day, services often start later in the morning.
Large events, such as football finals, New Year's Eve fireworks and festivals, usually bring extra services in the big cities, but also road closures and diverted bus routes. Check the operator website or app for changes before you travel.
Night services in the big cities
In Sydney, NightRide buses, with route numbers starting with N, run through the night along the main rail corridors after the last trains. In Melbourne, the Night Network keeps trains, some tram routes and NightBus routes running through the night on Friday and Saturday nights. In South East Queensland, NightLink services provide late-night travel on Friday and Saturday nights in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
In Perth and Adelaide, the last trains and buses run later on Friday and Saturday nights than during the week. On other nights, plan to finish your trip by around midnight in the big cities.
Regional towns
In regional cities such as Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Hobart, Launceston, Darwin and Alice Springs, buses mostly stop running in the evening, and Sunday and public holiday services can be limited or absent on some routes. The last buses can leave earlier than you might expect.
Taxis and rideshare are the usual way home late at night. Check the timetable for your route in advance, especially on Sundays and public holidays, and allow for long waits between buses outside the peak hours.
Useful pages
All guides