Kerala extends bar timings till midnight

Kerala extends bar hours to midnight, sparking controversy ahead of elections amid concerns from the Catholic Church.

The Kerala government has issued an order extending the operating hours of bars and beer and wine parlours by two hours. With this, the bars and beer parlours will be able to function from 10 a.m. to midnight in the State.

In addition, the government has decided to grant permission to FL3 licensed bar hotels having 5-star classification and above to function till 3 a.m., allowing an additional 3 hours after the permissible closing time, on payment of an annual rental of ₹5 lakh.

As per the order, which was issued on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) as an extraordinary gazette, the changes have been made in the interest of promoting Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, destination wedding, international conference and other conferences. For the above purpose, the Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953 needs to be amended suitably. The bar owners have been for a long time demanding for extension of operarating hours.

The announcement, which came ahead of the Assembly elections, kicked up a controversy.

Demanding the government to withdraw the policy change, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council has asked whether the liberal approach in the latest order is “part of an election deal.”

"Those who adopted the policy of appeasing the Abkari without consulting the front or even the Cabinet would do well to remember the Bible verse that says, ‘Alcohol bites like a serpent and stings like a viper’," said the KCBC in a press release.