Community / Licensing extensions granted for fire festivals and Christmas period
A BLANKET extension of licensing hours for the various fire festival venues over the coming months has been granted.
The general extension was approved at a meeting of Shetland’s licensing board on Monday.
Up Helly Aa and fire festival events have traditionally been deemed by the board to be of local and national significance.
For Lerwick’s Up Helly Aa licensed venues can stay open until 9am the following day, with bars having to close at 3.30am.
For the other fire festivals the extension is for licensed premises to close by 4am, with bars shutting at 3.30am.
The extension also covers the customary jarl’s breakfast events.
There have been no Up Helly Aas or fire festivals in Shetland since the spring of 2020, with the Covid pandemic postponing all events.
But they will return in 2023, with the first being Scalloway’s fire festival in January.
Shetland North and Bressay member Stephen Leask moved that the extension be granted, saying he was “absolutely delighted” to do so.
“I’m sure we are all glad to see Up Helly Aa up and running again,” he said.
Meanwhile the usual general extension for Christmas and New Year for pubs and clubs was also granted.
All licensed premises can stay open until 2am between 17 December and 2 January, both dates inclusive, while clubs can open until 3am on any day during the period.
The festive extension was granted last year, but it was not in force in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
Shetland Central member Catherine Hughson moved that the blanket extension be put in place, adding that it was important to support the licensed trade as it emerges from Covid restrictions.
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