Liquor trading hours over the Christmas period

Liquor trading hours and conditions have been confirmed for the upcoming Christmas period.

Hotels, clubs, general bars and restaurants across NSW can trade until 2am on 1 January 2025 for New Year's Eve celebrations. This trading extension overrides earlier closing times that might normally apply via liquor licence or development consent conditions. Venues already approved to trade after 2am can trade as usual.

Restrictive trading conditions apply on Christmas Day. Takeaway sales are generally not permitted, and on-premises trading times are limited for most venues.

Take-away alcohol sales and home deliveries across NSW stay the same for New Year's Eve - stopping by midnight at the latest.

More information on trading hours over the Christmas period can be found below.

Notes:

1. Christmas day trading for hotels between noon to 10pm: Liquor may only be sold with a meal on Christmas day that is served in a genuine dining area. The Liquor Act defines a meal as a genuine meal consumed by a person at a dining table. L&GNSW considers a meal to constitute any food offered on the venue's dining menu.
2. Extended trading for hotels on Christmas Day morning: If you already have an approved extended trading authorisation that allows on-premises sales past midnight until any time up to 5am, you may use that authorisation on Christmas Day morning.
3. Christmas Day trading outside specified hours can only be approved under an extended trading authorisation for on-premises licences: If approved, sales between 5am and midnight must be in a dining area only, with or ancillary to a meal. Trading outside noon to 10pm is not permitted for a public entertainment venue (other than a cinema or theatre).
4. On-premises licence promoting local products: An approved take-away sales authorisation cannot be used on Christmas Day.
5. Trading between midnight on Christmas Day and 5am on Boxing Day:This is not permitted for hotels and public entertainment venues (other than a cinema or theatre).
6. Packaged liquor trading on Boxing Day: Packaged liquor outlets may open for trade on the condition that everyone working in the shop freely choose to do so on Boxing Day. Further information is available from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
7. New Year's Eve Exemption: Most venues can stay open to sell or supply alcohol for consumption on the premises until 2am for New Year's Eve despite earlier closing times that may normally apply under liquor licences and development consents or approvals. This does not include takeaway liquor sales and home deliveries.
8. Liquor sales restrictions: All takeaway alcohol sales are prohibited after midnight throughout the state as part of normal trading. Some venues in the Sydney CBD Entertainment and Kings Cross precincts are also subject to cessation of liquor sales requirements.
9. 6-hour closure still applies: Liquor licences granted from 30 October 2008, along with licences that have an extended trading authorisation granted from that date and licences that are removed to another location from that date, are subject to a daily 6-hour closure for retail sales. This 6-hour closure continues to apply during the Christmas period.
10. Vessel trading hours: Normal trading for vessels is one hour before the vessel starts any voyage or passage and ending 30 minutes after the voyage or passage is completed (or during other times approved by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority).