Public Holidays in Tuvalu 2026 – National & Cultural Holidays
Tuvalu’s 2026 public holiday calendar is governed principally by the Public Holidays Act, CAP. 4.50, 2022 Revised Edition. The law includes fixed-date holidays, rule-based holidays and several dates that depend on an official appointment or another observance. This means some widely published commercial holiday calendars do not exactly match Tuvalu’s current statutory Schedule.
Next Public Holiday in Tuvalu
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2026 | Thursday | Tuvalu Day | Officially Scheduled |
Public Holidays in Tuvalu 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day | Officially Scheduled |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Subject to Confirmation |
| April 6, 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday | Subject to Confirmation |
| May 11, 2026 | Monday | Te Aso o te Tala Lei (Gospel Day) | Officially Scheduled |
| June 13, 2026 | Saturday | Anniversary of the Birthday of the Sovereign | Officially Scheduled |
| June 15, 2026 | Monday | Anniversary of the Birthday of the Sovereign — Substitute Public Holiday | Officially Scheduled |
| August 3, 2026 | Monday | National Youth Day | Officially Scheduled |
| October 1, 2026 | Thursday | Tuvalu Day | Officially Scheduled |
| October 2, 2026 | Friday | Tuvalu Day | Officially Scheduled |
| October 12, 2026 | Monday | National Children's Day | Expected |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Officially Scheduled |
| December 26, 2026 | Saturday | Boxing Day | Officially Scheduled |
| December 28, 2026 | Monday | Boxing Day — Substitute Public Holiday | Officially Scheduled |
How Public Holidays Work in Tuvalu
Tuvalu’s principal statutory holiday rules are contained in the Public Holidays Act, CAP. 4.50, 2022 Revised Edition. The Act provides that the days listed in its Schedule are public holidays and are to be kept as holidays in public offices in Tuvalu.
The current Schedule includes New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Te Aso o te Tala Lei (Gospel Day), the Anniversary of the Birthday of the Sovereign, National Youth Day, Tuvalu Day, National Children’s Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Fixed and Rule-Based Public Holidays in Tuvalu
Several Tuvalu public holidays can be determined directly from the rules in the Act. New Year’s Day is January 1, Tuvalu Day covers October 1 and October 2, Christmas Day is December 25 and Boxing Day is December 26.
Other holidays are defined by weekday rules. Te Aso o te Tala Lei, or Gospel Day, is the Monday following the second Sunday in May. National Youth Day is the first Monday in August. National Children’s Day is the first Monday after White Sunday.
Good Friday and Easter Monday in 2026
Good Friday and Easter Monday are statutory public holidays in Tuvalu, but the Public Holidays Act describes their dates as “as appointed” rather than fixing them directly in the Schedule. An official 2026 closure calendar published by the Australian High Commission in Funafuti identifies Friday, April 3, 2026 as Good Friday and Monday, April 6, 2026 as Easter Monday.
Because a separate 2026 Tuvalu Government appointment notice for these two dates has not been located, they should be treated conservatively where formal confirmation status is important.
National Youth Day and National Children’s Day
Tuvalu’s current Public Holidays Act distinguishes National Youth Day from National Children’s Day. National Youth Day is defined as the first Monday in August, while National Children’s Day is defined as the first Monday after White Sunday.
This distinction is important because some third-party calendars continue to label the first Monday in August as National Children’s Day. That reflects older holiday information rather than the wording of the current 2022 Revised Edition of the Act.
Is Commonwealth Day a Public Holiday in Tuvalu?
Commonwealth Day does not appear in the Schedule of Tuvalu’s current Public Holidays Act. Older versions of the legislation included Commonwealth Day, and several third-party calendars still show it as a Tuvalu public holiday. For a current statutory holiday list, the 2022 Revised Edition should take priority over those older or secondary calendars.
What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
Tuvalu has a statutory weekend replacement rule. If a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday becomes a public holiday unless the Minister orders otherwise by notice.
The Act also allows the Minister, when a holiday falls on a weekday other than Monday, to appoint either the preceding or following Monday as a public holiday in lieu of that date.
A separate rule applies when October 2 or December 26 falls on certain days. These provisions can create additional Monday or Tuesday public holidays depending on the weekday on which the original holiday occurs.
The Sovereign’s Birthday Holiday
The statutory Schedule describes the Anniversary of the Birthday of the Sovereign as the second Saturday in June or another date as appointed. Under the ordinary statutory calculation, the second Saturday in June 2026 falls on June 13.
Because June 13, 2026 is a Saturday, the Act’s general weekend provision also makes the following Monday a public holiday unless the Minister orders otherwise. A ministerial appointment can alter the date, so any later Tuvalu Government notice should take precedence over the default calculation.
Can Tuvalu Declare Additional Public Holidays?
Yes. The Public Holidays Act gives the Minister power to appoint a special day, or part of a day, as a public holiday. A special holiday may apply throughout Tuvalu or only in a particular island, district or other specified part of the country.
This means a one-off government notice can add a holiday that does not appear in the permanent statutory Schedule.
Are Public Offices Closed on Public Holidays in Tuvalu?
The Public Holidays Act states that the scheduled public holidays are to be kept as holidays in all public offices in Tuvalu. However, the head of a government department may open offices or works and require employees to perform duties on a public holiday where necessary.
Long Weekends in Tuvalu in 2026
Several 2026 holiday arrangements can create extended breaks. Good Friday and Easter Monday surround the Easter weekend, Gospel Day falls on a Monday, National Youth Day falls on a Monday, and National Children’s Day is expected on a Monday after White Sunday.
Tuvalu Day is particularly notable in 2026 because October 1 falls on Thursday and October 2 falls on Friday, creating consecutive statutory holiday dates immediately before the weekend.
Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, so the statutory weekend rule makes Monday, December 28 a public holiday unless otherwise ordered. Christmas Day falls on Friday, producing an extended Christmas period together with the weekend and Monday replacement holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the next public holiday in Tuvalu?
The next public holiday changes during the year. Check the Next Public Holiday in Tuvalu section above for the current VisaBoards database-generated result.
How many public holiday dates does Tuvalu have in 2026?
The precise total depends on how appointed and substitute dates are recorded. The statutory Schedule contains the principal holiday events, while weekend replacement rules and ministerial appointments can create additional public holiday dates.
Is Commonwealth Day a public holiday in Tuvalu in 2026?
Commonwealth Day is not included in the Schedule of the current 2022 Revised Edition of Tuvalu’s Public Holidays Act. Its appearance on some holiday websites reflects older or secondary holiday lists.
When is Gospel Day in Tuvalu?
Te Aso o te Tala Lei, commonly called Gospel Day, is legally observed on the Monday following the second Sunday in May.
When is National Youth Day in Tuvalu?
National Youth Day is defined by the current Public Holidays Act as the first Monday in August.
When is National Children’s Day in Tuvalu?
National Children’s Day is legally the first Monday after White Sunday. Its date therefore depends on the date of White Sunday rather than a fixed numerical date in the Public Holidays Act.
Does Tuvalu give a substitute holiday when a public holiday falls on a weekend?
Yes. Unless the Minister orders otherwise, a statutory public holiday falling on Saturday or Sunday makes the following Monday a public holiday.
Can an extra public holiday be declared in Tuvalu?
Yes. The Minister may appoint special public holidays for all of Tuvalu or for a particular island, district or other part of the country.
Official Sources for Public Holidays in Tuvalu
The principal legal source is the Tuvalu Public Holidays Act, CAP. 4.50, 2022 Revised Edition. It establishes the statutory holiday Schedule, weekend replacement rules, ministerial appointment powers and rules affecting public offices.
The Tuvalu legislation database identifies the 2022 Revised Edition as the current version of the Public Holidays Act.
For the specifically appointed Easter dates used in the 2026 dataset, the Australian High Commission in Funafuti’s 2026 public holiday calendar provides additional official diplomatic-source confirmation of Good Friday and Easter Monday.
