One public holiday may be canceled in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz – In 2026, one public holiday in Kazakhstan may be cancelled. This will happen if the new Constitution is adopted at the upcoming referendum on 15 March.
What happened
On 15 March, a referendum will be held in Kazakhstan on the adoption of a new Constitution. If citizens support it, 15 March may become the new Constitution Day.
At present, this holiday is celebrated on 30 August – the day the current 1995 Constitution was adopted. This date is officially a national holiday and a non-working day.
This raises a question: will 30 August remain a day off in 2026, or will it be cancelled immediately?
To get an answer, Tengrinews.kz sent an official request to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population.
What the Ministry of Labour said
The Ministry stated that 30 August will remain a national holiday and a non-working day in 2026 until changes are made to the legislation.
It should be recalled that, if the new Constitution is adopted, it will enter into force on 1 July 2026. This means that 30 August will cease to be a holiday and a non-working day.

“In the event that a different date for the national holiday ‘Constitution Day’ is established by law, 30 August will lose its status as a national holiday from the date the corresponding law enters into force,” the Ministry of Labour added.

It is noted that in 2026 Kazakhstanis were expecting 119 days off and 246 working days. Now, however, there may be one day off fewer.