Picnic Day 2026, 2027 and onwards

Picnic Day Northern Territory : First Monday in August

Picnic Day is a public holiday in the Northern Territory on the first Monday in August: Monday 3 August 2026, Monday 2 August 2027 and Monday 7 August 2028.

The origin of the Northern Territory Picnic Day is not completely clear. Several stories link it to the North Australian Railway, a track that connected the towns of Darwin and Larrimah. According to one story, the day was originally granted to the hard-working railway workers to enjoy a picnic on the Adelaide River.

Another source states that Picnic Day has its origin in a race meeting in 1947. The event was such a success that it became an annual tradition, now known as the Harts Range annual races. An application was presented to the Northern Territory administration for a public holiday coinciding with the future dates of the Harts Range races. The administration agreed and named the day the Northern Territory Picnic Day.

Nowadays Picnic Day in the Northern Territory is above all a long weekend to relax or enjoy a short trip. Both the railway picnic and the Harts Range races remain popular activities on the Picnic Day weekend.