Public holidays · Africa · 2026
Zambia Holidays 2026: Public Holidays in Zambia
Zambia has 16 national public holidays in 2026. 14 of them fall on a weekday and 2 on a weekend. The next public holiday is Christmas Day on Friday, 25 December (in 59 days). There are 9 long weekends and 3 more if you take a bridge day off.
Next public holiday
Christmas Day
Friday, 25 December 2026
Zambia public holidays 2026 — full list
| Date | Holiday | Local name | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | New Year's Day | Public holiday | |
| International Women's Day | International Women's Day | Public holiday | |
| Youth Day | Youth Day | Public holiday | |
| Good Friday | Good Friday | Public holiday | |
| Weekend | Holy Saturday | Easter Saturday | Public holiday |
| Weekend | Easter Sunday | Easter Sunday | Public holiday |
| Easter Monday | Easter Monday | Public holiday | |
| Kenneth Kaunda's Birthday | Kenneth Kaunda's Birthday | Public holiday | |
| Labour Day | Labour Day | Public holiday | |
| African Freedom Day | Africa Freedom Day | Public holiday | |
| Heroes' Day | Heroes' Day | Public holiday | |
| Unity Day | Unity Day | Public holiday | |
| Farmers' Day | Farmers' Day | Public holiday | |
| National Day of Prayer | National Day of Prayer | Public holiday | |
| Independence Day | Independence Day | Public holiday | |
| Christmas Day Next | Christmas Day | Public holiday |
Data: Nager.Date public holiday database and the vacanza/holidays library (both MIT licence). Dates of religious holidays based on the lunar calendar may shift by a day after official announcements.
Zambia holiday calendar 2026
- National holiday
- Regional holiday
- Bridge day (take off for a long weekend)
January 1
February
March 2
April 5
May 2
June
July 2
August 1
September
October 2
November
December 1
Long weekends in Zambia 2026
9 long weekends come for free, and 3 more need just one or two days of leave. Plan your trips around these dates.
Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan
Take off Fri 2 Jan
Sat 7 Mar – Mon 9 Mar
No leave needed
Thu 12 Mar – Sun 15 Mar
Take off Fri 13 Mar
Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Apr
No leave needed
Sat 25 Apr – Tue 28 Apr
Take off Mon 27 Apr
Fri 1 May – Sun 3 May
No leave needed
Sat 23 May – Mon 25 May
No leave needed
Sat 4 Jul – Tue 7 Jul
No leave needed
Sat 1 Aug – Mon 3 Aug
No leave needed
Sat 17 Oct – Mon 19 Oct
No leave needed
Sat 24 Oct – Mon 26 Oct
No leave needed
Fri 25 Dec – Sun 27 Dec
No leave needed
Zambia vs its neighbours — public holidays in 2026
Planning a trip to Zambia?
On public holidays banks, offices and many shops close, public transport often runs a Sunday timetable and popular destinations get busy and more expensive. Book early around long weekends.