Selling alcohol
Northern Ireland Christmas licensing hours
In Northern Ireland, premises licensed to sell alcohol must follow set trading rules that specify the permitted hours for sales.
Licensed premises such as bars, hotels and restaurants may normally sell alcohol from 11:30am to 11pm on weekdays (Monday to Saturday), or from 12:30pm to 11pm on Sundays. Some licensed premises hold a 'late licence' that allows them to extend sales to 1am, or to 2am with additional permitted hours.
The permitted hours for sales are different for Christmas Day.
Christmas 2025 licensing hours
The permitted hours that licensed premises can sell alcohol during the Christmas period are:
Christmas Eve (24 December 2025) alcohol sales
- Licensed premises: 11:30am to 11pm (late extensions to midnight permitted, no sales after midnight)
- Drinking up time: plus 1 hour
- Off-licences (pub liquor licence): 11:30am to 11pm
- Off-licences (shops): 8am to 11pm
Christmas Day (25 December 2025) alcohol sales
- Licensed premises: 12:30pm to 10pm (no late extensions allowed)
- Drinking up time: plus 1 hour
- Off-licences (pub liquor licence): closed
- Off-licences (shops): closed
New Year's Eve (31 December 2025) alcohol sales
- Licensed premises: normal trading day from 11:30am, late extensions apply
- Drinking up time: plus 1 hour
The permitted hours for sales of alcohol in Northern Ireland are set out by the Licensing (NI) Order 1996, as amended by the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (NI) 2021.