Public holidays · 2026
Labor Day falls on Friday, 1 May 2026 in Portugal in 2026.
A public holiday across Portugal: most employees have the day off.
In 2026 it falls on a Friday, a working day.
Fixed date: it is on the same day of the year every year (1 May).
Saturday and Sunday · A public holiday does not always close every business. Essential services, shops and some industries keep working, and pay rules differ by country and contract.
International Workers' Day, observed on 1 May, honours the labour movement and the struggle for workers' rights, above all the eight-hour working day. In most of continental Europe it is a public holiday under names such as Labour Day, Festa dei Lavoratori, Tag der Arbeit or Fête du Travail. Trade unions and left-wing parties traditionally organise marches, rallies and speeches, and in some countries the day also has a long history as a demonstration of political strength. In Spain, Portugal and Greece, the day is similarly a holiday with union marches.
May Day has older roots too, in the spring festivals of northern and central Europe, with maypoles, dancing and the arrival of the warmer season. The two traditions live side by side in places such as Finland, where Vappu is both a workers' day and a lively student carnival, and in Germany, where the night before is Walpurgis Night. In Italy the day is known for a very large free concert in Rome, and in France people give each other sprigs of lily of the valley. The overlap of the two traditions means 1 May is both political and seasonal in many places.
Everywhere in Portugal.
Add to calendar (.ics)Print as PDFDownload as PNGDownload the national public holidays of Portugal 2026 for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. The PDF and PNG are a white A4 sheet with all twelve months.
Questions
A public holiday across Portugal: most employees have the day off.
Friday, 1 May 2026.