Poll: Majority of Australians want a long weekend, not January 26

MEDIA RELEASE: UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 7:00AM AEDT, Friday 23 January 2026 

Poll: Majority of Australians want a long weekend, not January 26 

Melbourne, Australia — 23 January, 2026 

New national YouGov polling, commissioned by Future Super on behalf of Clothing The Gaps and the Australian Long Weekend campaign, shows a majority of Australians support moving Australia Day from January 26 in favour of a guaranteed Australian Long Weekend on the second-last Monday of January. 

Respondents were asked to choose between the following options 

• An Australian Long Weekend: a public holiday on the second-last Monday of January (18–24 January), creating a guaranteed summer long weekend 

• An Australia Day that is fixed to January 26th : which may not result in a long weekend if it falls midweek 

Support was strongest among the younger demographic, with 70% of 18–24-year-olds backing an Australian Long Weekend, signalling a clear landslide in favour of the solution and a growing momentum for a more inclusive national approach. 

The polling aligns with broader community support for this ‘Australian Long Weekend’ idea which has received more than 23,000 signatures and the Clothing The Gaps Not A Date To Celebrate petition with over 83,000 supporters and over 150 businesses publicly supporting change. 

State-by-state results 

• WA leads the nation, with 57% backing the Australian Long Weekend 

• NSW (55%) and Victoria (54%) show strong majority support 

• Queensland (54%) also backs change 

• South Australia is evenly divided, reflecting a state still weighing both options 

Laura Thompson, (Gunditjmara) CEO and co-founder of Clothing The Gaps, said the results show Australians are ready to move beyond debate: 

“These poll results show that Australians are ready and support changing the date. For years we’ve heard the question, ‘If not January 26, then when?’ An Australian Long Weekend offers a practical solution, creating distance from January 26, a Day of Mourning for First Nations people, while allowing for a national celebration that is inclusive and respectful.”  

“There is clear support for changing the date, particularly among young people aged 18–24. Australians are tired of the division surrounding January 26, and when offered a practical, common-sense alternative like an Australian Long Weekend, the majority of Australians are ready to move forward.” 

“For First Nations people, January 26 marks invasion and dispossession, not a national celebration. First Nations people have been calling for change for generations. With growing public support, the time is right for the Prime Minister to consider a way forward and listen.” 

Phil Jenkyn OAM co-convenor of the Australia Long Weekend says,  

“There is clear, strong support for moving the public holiday to a time in January that brings people together, for the benefit of all.” 

“This isn’t about taking something away; it’s about finding a solution that works. An Australian Long Weekend is a practical, common-sense way to move forward without continuing the harm caused by January 26.” 

This is the first national poll to give Australians a clear choice and a concrete solution: rather than simply asking whether Australia Day should change, respondents were presented with a practical alternative that retains a public holiday while ensuring it never falls on January 26, a date declared a Day of Mourning in 1938 by Aboriginal leaders including William Cooper. The results reflect the state of the nation, with a majority seeking a way to honour a national celebration without the division associated with January 26. 

Business support is also growing: 

Future Super 

“Aussies love a long weekend and a long weekend would allow us to truly celebrate all of the things that make modern Australia great while leaving January 26 as a day of mourning. That’s why we’re standing with Not a Date to Celebrate. Inequality isn’t sustainable, and real progress requires listening, learning and acting even when it’s uncomfortable. For many First Nations people, it marks the beginning of dispossession, many Australians want a national day that truly centres and celebrates First Nations people.” — Simon Sheikh, CEO & Founder 

ENDS 

Editors notes 

Interview opportunities: 

• Clothing the Gaps Founders: Laura Thompson (Gunditjmara) and Sarah Sherry 

• YouGov: Paul Smith – Director of Public Affairs and Data

• Australia Long Weekend Co-convenor: Phil Jenkyn OAM  

About this survey 

• This survey was conducted online between the 14th of January– 22nd of January 2026.  

• The total sample is comprised of 1508 Australian voters aged 18+ with quotas on age, gender, region, education, income, 2023 Voice Referendum vote and 2025 Federal Election past vote.  

• Respondents are sourced from the YouGov panel and are incentivised by points redeemable for cash or vouchers.  

• Following the completion of interviewing, the data was weighted to reflect the latest ABS population estimates for Australian 18+ eligible to vote in these regions.  

• Margin of error for poll is 3.07%.  

• This study has been carried out in accordance with the ISO 20252:2019 standards, to which YouGov is accredited.  

• YouGov is a cofounder of the Australian Polling Council and abides by it's code of transparency in polling by publishing a methodology statement with full details of this survey on the YouGov website 

Respondents were asked the following question: 

Australia Day is currently observed on 26 January, a date that can fall on any day of the week. Every year there is division caused by this date because it marks the commencement of British colonisation and the dispossession of First Nations peoples. 
 

A proposal has been put forward to help resolve this issue by creating a guaranteed Australian Long Weekend each year, with the Australia Day holiday being on the second-last Monday in January (between 18th and 24th). 
 
Supporters of the proposal say that the Australian Long Weekend allows for a more inclusive and respectful national celebration and a certain summer long weekend. 
 
Which of the following is your preference 

• An Australian Long Weekend, created by a public holiday on an Australia Day that always occurs on the 2nd last Monday of January (between 18th to 24th of January) 

• An Australia Day that is fixed to January 26th where there is no long weekend when it falls on a Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.