The following lists cultural and special events that are taking place from January to December 2026. This should help you plan and organise upcoming events and celebrations in 2026.
January 2026
- Month-long: Veganuary, Walk Your Dog Month
- 1 Jan (Thu): New Year’s Day, Public Domain Day
- 2 Jan (Fri): World Introvert Day, National Science Fiction Day
- 4 Jan (Sun): World Braille Day, World Spaghetti Day
- 5 Jan (Mon): Cavalcade of Magi
- 7 Jan (Wed): Orthodox Christmas Day
- 10 Jan (Sat): World Hindi Day
- 11 Jan (Sun): Girl Hug Boy Day
- 12 Jan (Mon): Earth Chakra Day
- 13 Jan (Tue): Rubber Duckie Day
- 14 Jan (Wed): International Kite Day, World Logic Day
- 15–18 Jan (Thu–Sun): Pongal (Hinduism)
- 17 Jan (Sat): Kids Inventors Day
- 18 Jan (Sun): National Winnie the Pooh Day, World Religion Day
- 20 Jan (Tue): Penguin Awareness Day
- 21 Jan (Wed): Squirrel Appreciation Day, National Hug Day
- 24 Jan (Sat): International Day of Education
- 26 Jan (Mon): Australia Day, Invasion Day, Survival Day, Yabun Festival
- 27 Jan (Tue): Chocolate Cake Day, International Holocaust Remembrance Day
- 28 Jan (Wed): National Lego Day
- 29 Jan (Thu): Puzzle Day, Lunar New Year
February 2026
- Month-long: Feel Good February
- 1 Feb (Sun): World Hijab Day
- 2 Feb (Mon): World Wetlands Day
- 4–10 Feb (Wed–Tue): Healthy Lunchbox Week
- 4 Feb (Wed): World Cancer Day
- 5 Feb (Thu): World Nutella Day
- 6 Feb (Fri): Waitangi Day (NZ)
- 7 Feb (Sat): Safer Internet Day, World Read Aloud Day
- 8 Feb (Sun): International Purple Hijab Day
- 9 Feb (Mon): World Pizza Day, International Day of the Dentist
- 9–15 Feb (Mon–Sun): Healthy Lunchbox Week (continued)
- 11 Feb (Wed): International Day of Women and Girls in Science, World Day of the Sick
- 12 Feb (Thu): International Darwin Day, Red Hand Day
- 13 Feb (Fri): Anniversary of Apology, World Radio Day
- 14 Feb (Sat): Valentine’s Day, International Book Giving Day, Library Lovers’ Day
- 17 Feb (Tue): Random Acts of Kindness Day
- 20 Feb (Fri): National Love Your Pet Day, World Day of Social Justice
- 21 Feb (Sat): International Mother Language Day, Sydney Mardi Gras
- 22 Feb (Sun): World Thinking Day
- 26 Feb (Thu): Tell a Fairy Tale Day
- 27 Feb (Fri): Beautiful Birthday Festival
- 28 Feb (Sat): Summer’s Day Kid Safe
March 2026
- Month-long: Australian Women’s History Month, Adopt a Pet Month, National Epilepsy Month, The Water Challenge
- 1–7 Mar (Sun–Sat): Hearing Awareness Week
- 1 Mar (Sun): World Compliment Day, World Immunity Day, Zero Discrimination Day
- 2 Mar (Mon): Dr Seuss Day, Clean Up Australia Day, World Teen Mental Wellness Day
- 2–10 Mar (Mon–Tue): National Sea Week
- 3 Mar (Tue): World Wildlife Day, World Hearing Day, World Day of the Writer, Irish Whiskey Day, World Tennis Day
- 4 Mar (Wed): Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday, World Engineering Day
- 5 Mar (Thu): Ash Wednesday
- 7 Mar (Sat): World Day of Prayer
- 8 Mar (Sun): UN International Women’s Day
- 9 Mar (Mon): World DJ Day, Day of Planetaria
- 10 Mar (Tue): Commonwealth Day, Bagpipe Day, Wig Day, Women Judges Day, Mario Day, Day of Awesomeness
- 11 Mar (Wed): Canberra Day, World Kidney Day, World Plumbing Day
- 14 Mar (Sat): Pi Day, International Mathematics Day, Day of Action for Rivers, Holi (India)
- 17 Mar (Tue): St Patrick’s Day
- 18 Mar (Wed): Global Recycling Day
- 18–24 Mar (Wed–Tue): Harmony Week
- 19 Mar (Thu): International Read to Me Day
- 20 Mar (Fri): International Day of Happiness, UN French Language Day, Very Hungry Caterpillar Day, National Day of Action Against Bullying, World Storytelling Day, Close the Gap Day
- 20–26 Mar (Fri–Thu): National Playgroup Week
- 21 Mar (Sat): World Poetry Day, World Down Syndrome Day, International Day of Forests, Harmony Day
- 22 Mar (Sun): World Water Day, Ride2School Day
- 23 Mar (Mon): World Meteorological Day, World Maths Day, World Tamale Day
- 28 Mar (Sat): Earth Hour
- 25 Mar (Wed): Maha Shivaratri (Hinduism)
- 29 Mar (Sun): Neighbour Day
- 30 Mar (Mon): National Doctors Day
April 2026
- Month-long: Autism Awareness Month, Poetry Month
- 1 Apr (Wed): Edible Book Day, April Fools’ Day, Fun at Work Day, Lupus Alert Day
- 2 Apr (Thu): World Autism Awareness Day, Reconciliation Day, Children’s Book Day, Fact-Checking Day
- 3 Apr (Fri): World Party Day, Aquatic Animal Day, Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, Good Friday
- 4 Apr (Sat): Pillow Fight Day, Mine Awareness Day, Holy Saturday
- 5 Apr (Sun): Easter Sunday
- 6 Apr (Mon): Easter Monday
- 7 Apr (Tue): World Health Day
- 22 Apr (Wed): International Mother Earth Day
- 23 Apr (Thu): World Book and Copyright Day
- 25 Apr (Sat): ANZAC Day (Australia & NZ)
May 2026
- Month-long: Mental Health Awareness Month, AAPI Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month
- 1 May (Fri): Labour Day (QLD, NT), Global Love Day, Save the Rhino Day
- 2 May (Sat): World Tuna Day, Naked Gardening Day, Harry Potter Day
- 3 May (Sun): World Press Freedom Day, Wild Koala Day, Laughter Day
- 4 May (Mon): Star Wars Day, Firefighters’ Day, Respect for Chickens Day
- 5 May (Tue): Cinco de Mayo, World Asthma Day
- 17 May (Sun): IDAHOBIT – International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
- 27 May (Wed): National Sorry Day
- 28 May (Thu): International Menstrual Hygiene Day
- 29 May (Fri): Wear Orange Day (SES Volunteers)
June 2026
- Month-long: Pride Month, Refugee Awareness Month
- 1 Jun (Mon): Global Day of Parents
- 5 Jun (Fri): World Environment Day
- 8 Jun (Mon): World Oceans Day
- 15 Jun (Mon): Nature Photography Day
- 18 Jun (Thu): Autistic Pride Day
- 20 Jun (Sat): World Refugee Day
- 21 Jun (Sun): International Yoga Day
- 26 Jun (Fri): International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
July 2026
- Month-long: Disability Pride Month, Plastic Free July
- 4 Jul (Sat): NAIDOC Week begins, Independence Day (USA)
- 11 Jul (Sat): World Population Day
- 14 Jul (Tue): Bastille Day
- 18 Jul (Sat): Nelson Mandela International Day
- 30 Jul (Thu): International Day of Friendship
August 2026
- 1 Aug (Sat): World Lung Cancer Day
- 4 Aug (Tue): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
- 8 Aug (Sat): International Cat Day
- 9 Aug (Sun): International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
- 12 Aug (Wed): International Youth Day
- 19 Aug (Wed): World Humanitarian Day
- 26 Aug (Wed): Women’s Equality Day
- 30 Aug (Sun): International Day of the Disappeared
September 2026
- Month-long: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Biodiversity Month
- 1 Sep (Tue): Wattle Day (Australia)
- 5 Sep (Sat): International Day of Charity
- 8 Sep (Tue): International Literacy Day
- 10 Sep (Thu): R U OK? Day (Australia), World Suicide Prevention Day
- 15 Sep (Tue): International Day of Democracy
- 21 Sep (Mon): International Day of Peace
- 23 Sep (Wed): Celebrate Bisexuality Day
- 30 Sep (Wed): International Podcast Day
October 2026
- Month-long: Mental Health Month (Australia), Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- 1 Oct (Thu): International Day of Older Persons
- 4 Oct (Sun): World Animal Day
- 5 Oct (Mon): World Teachers’ Day
- 10 Oct (Sat): World Mental Health Day
- 11 Oct (Sun): International Day of the Girl
- 16 Oct (Fri): World Food Day
- 31 Oct (Sat): Halloween
November 2026
- Month-long: Movember (Men’s Health), NaNoWriMo (Writing Month)
- 1 Nov (Sun): All Saints’ Day
- 11 Nov (Wed): Remembrance Day
- 13 Nov (Fri): World Kindness Day
- 16 Nov (Mon): International Day for Tolerance
- 20 Nov (Fri): Universal Children’s Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance
- 25 Nov (Wed): International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
- 30 Nov (Mon): Cyber Monday
December 2026
- 1 Dec (Tue): World AIDS Day
- 3 Dec (Thu): International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- 5 Dec (Sat): International Volunteer Day
- 10 Dec (Thu): Human Rights Day
- 21 Dec (Mon): Summer Solstice (Southern Hemisphere)
- 25 Dec (Fri): Christmas Day
- 26 Dec (Sat): Boxing Day
- 31 Dec (Thu): New Year’s Eve
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Note: This is to be used as a general guideline only. These dates may be subject to change.