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Northern Territory School Holidays 2026 & Term Dates

Current School Term Status

Term 3 is currently running

9 days left

Term 3 ends on Friday, 18 September 2026.

Next break: Spring school holidays starts after Friday, 18 September 2026.

Live School Term Tracker

Northern Territory school term countdown 2026

Live countdown, current school week and a date checker - calculated from the official dates on this page.

10 days until the Spring holidays begin

Term 3 is running now. After it, the Spring holidays run 19 Sep 2026 to 5 Oct 2026.

Week 9 of 10 - Term 3
Last day of schoolFriday, 18 September 2026Term 3 ends
Holidays beginSaturday, 19 September 2026Spring holidays

Counting down to the Spring holidays

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Pick a date to see whether schools are in term or on holidays then - and which week of term it falls in.

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2026 Northern Territory School Term Dates

Use the table below as the main reference for Northern Territory 2026 school term dates.

TermStartsEndsLength
Term 129 January 20262 April 202610 weeks
Term 214 April 202619 June 202610 weeks
Term 314 July 202618 September 202610 weeks
Term 46 October 202611 December 202610 weeks

🏖️
School Holidays NT 2026

These are the main school holiday breaks between terms in Northern Territory for 2026. Use them as a planning guide and confirm details with your school when needed.

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Autumn school holidays

Between Term 1 and Term 2
3 April 2026 - 13 April 2026
11
days off
❄️

Winter school holidays

Between Term 2 and Term 3
20 June 2026 - 13 July 2026
24
days off
🌸

Spring school holidays

Between Term 3 and Term 4
19 September 2026 - 5 October 2026
17
days off
☀️

Summer school holidays

After Term 4 2026
12 December 2026 - 26 January 2027
46
days off

Northern Territory 2026 school year at a glance

  • Total school terms: 4
  • Total instructional time: 40 weeks across the four terms
  • Term lengths: All four terms are 10 weeks long
  • Total school holiday time: 98 days across the four holiday breaks
  • Longest break: Summer school holidays, at 46 days

2026 has the least total instructional time of the 5 years shown on this site, at 40 weeks across the four terms — 1 fewer than the longest year (41 weeks). Its 46-day summer holidays are the shortest of the years with confirmed dates on this site.

Compared to 2027: Term 1 2026 falls 2 days later than Term 1 2027, Term 4 2026 falls 2 days later than Term 4 2027, and total school holiday time is 1 day more in 2026 than in 2027 (98 vs 97) — Autumn school holidays run 1 day longer in 2026 (11 days vs 10 days in 2027); all other breaks are the same length in both years.

These figures are calculated directly from the term and school holiday dates listed on this page.

Plain-English summary for Northern Territory 2026

Northern Territory school students generally have four school terms in 2026, with autumn, winter, spring and summer holiday breaks between terms.

  • School year starts: 29 January 2026.
  • School year ends: 11 December 2026.
  • Important note: Government, Catholic, independent and private schools may use different student dates, so families should confirm dates with their school.

The detailed term dates and school holiday tables above remain the main reference. This section is only a quick plain-English explanation.

Download and print NT 2026 school calendar

Download the Northern Territory 2026 school calendar as an iCal file, import it into Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar, or print this page for offline planning.

Download iCal (.ics) Calendar help

28 calendar items included. The file includes available term dates, school holiday breaks and public holidays that appear on this page. Always confirm dates with the official source and your school.

2026 Public Holidays in Northern Territory

Northern Territory public holidays include regional show days and part-day holidays. Regional entries may not apply across the whole territory.

Public holidayDateNotes
New Year’s DayThursday, 1 January 2026Statewide public holiday.
Australia DayMonday, 26 January 2026Statewide public holiday.
Good FridayFriday, 3 April 2026Statewide public holiday.
Day after Good FridaySaturday, 4 April 2026Statewide public holiday.
Easter SundaySunday, 5 April 2026Statewide public holiday.
Easter MondayMonday, 6 April 2026Statewide public holiday.
ANZAC DaySaturday, 25 April 2026Statewide public holiday.
May DayMonday, 4 May 2026Statewide public holiday.
King’s BirthdayMonday, 8 June 2026Statewide public holiday.
Alice Springs Show DayFriday, 3 July 2026Regional/local show holiday; check your local area.
Tennant Creek Show DayFriday, 10 July 2026Regional/local show holiday; check your local area.
Katherine Show DayFriday, 17 July 2026Regional/local show holiday; check your local area.
Darwin Show DayFriday, 24 July 2026Regional/local show holiday; check your local area.
Picnic DayMonday, 3 August 2026Statewide public holiday.
Borroloola Show DayFriday, 14 August 2026Regional/local show holiday; check your local area.
Christmas Eve (part day)Thursday, 24 December 2026Part-day holiday; confirm official times.
Christmas DayFriday, 25 December 2026Statewide public holiday.
Boxing DaySaturday, 26 December 2026Statewide public holiday.
Boxing Day HolidayMonday, 28 December 2026Additional public holiday.
New Year’s Eve (part day)Thursday, 31 December 2026Part-day holiday; confirm official times.

Use this table as a planning guide only. Confirm public holidays, regional holidays and school-specific arrangements with the official NT government source and your school.

See the full NT 2026 public holiday list, with types and long weekends →

Good to know: Northern Territory planning notes for 2026

The Northern Territory has two public holidays not seen in most other jurisdictions: May Day (first Monday in May) and Picnic Day (first Monday in August). Because the NT covers such a large and remote geographic area, some regional and remote community schools can run modified term arrangements, so it’s worth confirming directly with an individual school if you’re outside a major centre like Darwin or Alice Springs. Government school dates are the main reference on this page; Catholic and independent schools in the NT may vary. NT pupil-free days are called Pupil Free Days and are set at each school’s discretion, so there is no single territory-wide list to check. The Northern Territory also has several regional show-day public holidays through July and August — including Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin — each falling on a different date and applying only to that town’s council area. See our 2026 long weekends guide for the full list.

Frequently asked questions about 2026 school dates

When do Northern Territory schools go back in 2026?

The first day of Term 1 starts on 29 January 2026.

When are school holidays NT 2026?

School holidays NT 2026 are the breaks listed above between each school term. The final summer holiday starts after Term 4 ends on 11 December 2026.

What are the term dates Northern Territory 2026?

Term dates Northern Territory 2026 are: Term 1 runs from 29 January 2026 to 2 April 2026, Term 2 runs from 14 April 2026 to 19 June 2026, Term 3 runs from 14 July 2026 to 18 September 2026, Term 4 runs from 6 October 2026 to 11 December 2026.

Are these dates the same for every Northern Territory school?

No. These dates are based on Northern Territory government schools. Independent, private and Catholic schools may set different student dates or pupil-free days.

What are May Day and Picnic Day in the Northern Territory?

May Day (first Monday in May) and Picnic Day (first Monday in August) are both public holidays unique to the Northern Territory and generally aren’t observed elsewhere in Australia.

Are Catholic and independent school dates different in the NT?

They can be. NT Catholic and independent schools set their own calendars and pupil-free days, which may differ from the government school dates shown on this page. Confirm with your school directly.

Where can I confirm official NT school term dates?

The NT Department of Education publishes official term dates at nt.gov.au, linked from the source note on this page. Check there directly for the latest confirmed dates.

Northern Territory school holidays by year

Use these links to move between NT year pages. Choose another available year page for this state below.

Compare 2026 school term dates and school holidays across other Australian states and territories.

Last updated: 9 September 2026

See the full 2026 comparison across all states — rankings, summer holiday length and total instructional time →