Poll says majority of Australians want different Australia Day
New national YouGov polling 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 in the poll commissioned by Future Super on behalf of Clothing The Gaps and the Australian Long Weekend campaign:
- 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 per cent 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 per cent backing the Australian Long Weekend
- NSW (55 per cent) and Victoria (54 per cent) show strong majority support
- Queensland (54 per cent) also backs change
- South Australia is evenly divided, reflecting a state still weighing both options
People march during an Invasion Day rally in Sydney, January 26, 2025. (AAP Image/Steven Markham)
CEO and co-founder of Clothing The Gaps, Laura Thompson said the results showed Australians were ready to move beyond debate.
“These poll results show that Australians are ready and support changing the date,” she said.
“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.
Key Facts
- 54 per cent of Australian voters prefer an Australian Long Weekend, created by a public holiday, that occurs on the 2nd last Monday in January, never on 26th of January.
- Support is strongest among younger Australians but is a majority across all working ages: 70 per cent of Australians aged 18-24, 63 per cent of those aged 25-34, 59 per cent of those aged 35-49 and 51 per cent of those aged 50- 64 . Only Australians aged 65 and over are opposed, 63 to 37 per cent.
- There is majority support in all regions of Australia: Inner Metropolitan 55 per cent, Outer Metropolitan 55 per cent, Provincial cities and towns 54 per cent and Rural Australia 54 per cent.
- 57 per cent of parents with children aged under 18 support the Australian Long Weekend. Working families are often the decisive group in deciding the outcome of Federal elections.
“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.”
Lily Hodgson poses for a photo during an Invasion Day rally in Sydney on January 26, 2025. (AAP Image/Steven Markham)
Phil Jenkyn OAM, co-convenor of the Australia Long Weekend said there was clear, strong support for moving the public holiday to a time in January that brings people together.
“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,” he said.
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.
About the Survey
- This survey was conducted online between January 14 and January 22 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 per cent.
- The study was 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 questions:
- 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.
