Preparing Your Licensed Premises for the Festive Season

29 Oct 2026

By Arlene Dunbar, Licensing Team Lead, Gilson Gray

The Time to Act is Now

With just over 70 days until Christmas, licensed premises across Scotland should already be reviewing their festive trading plans. Whether you’re planning extended opening hours, hosting seasonal events or preparing for increased footfall, now is the time to ensure your licensing arrangements are in order.

Every year, businesses miss opportunities because preparations are left too late. Festive policies are often published well in advance of December, application deadlines can arrive weeks before the festive period begins, and many Licensing Boards and local authority departments operate reduced services over Christmas and New Year.

For operators hoping to maximise festive trade, early planning is essential.

Check Your Board’s Festive Policy

Many Licensing Boards publish festive policies setting out the additional trading hours that may be available over Christmas and New Year. However, the approach varies considerably across Scotland.

For example, Glasgow Licensing Board’s festive policy provides additional festive hours for certain premises where the appropriate seasonal wording already appears within the operating plan. Aberdeen City Licensing Board has also published arrangements for the 2026/27 festive period, providing extensions on specified dates.

The key message is simple: don’t assume your premises will automatically benefit from additional hours. The position will depend on your local Board’s policy and the terms of your existing premises licence.

Do You Need an Extended Hours Application?

Even where a festive policy exists, additional hours are not always automatic.

Some Licensing Boards require individual extended hours applications, while others may only grant extensions where appropriate seasonal variations are already included within the operating plan. In some areas, strict application deadlines apply well before Christmas.

A review of your premises licence now can help establish:

• Whether your operating plan contains the necessary festive provisions;
• Whether an extended hours application is required;
• Whether any deadlines are approaching; and
• Whether any additional conditions may apply.

Leaving matters until December can result in missed opportunities at the busiest and most profitable time of the year.

Carry Out a Licensing Health Check

The run-up to Christmas is also an ideal opportunity to review the compliance position at your premises.

In particular, licence holders should ensure that:

• The named Premises Manager remains correct;
• The Premises Manager holds a valid personal licence;
• Refresher training requirements have been completed;
• Any changes requiring notification to the Licensing Board have been addressed; and
• Internal compliance procedures remain up to date.

This is particularly important where there have been staffing changes during the year. Discovering a licensing issue shortly before Christmas party season is unlikely to be welcome and may take time to resolve.

Plan Ahead for Increased Demand

The festive period often places additional demands on licensed premises. Christmas parties, corporate functions, seasonal events and Hogmanay celebrations can result in significantly increased customer numbers.

Now is a good time to consider whether your existing operating arrangements remain fit for purpose and whether any changes may require licensing approval. Identifying potential issues early provides time to address them before festive trading begins.

For businesses planning special events or trading arrangements outside their normal operations, it is also worth considering whether any additional permissions or licences may be required.

Don’t Leave It Until December

One of the most overlooked aspects of festive preparation is the practical reality that Licensing Boards and council departments are often dealing with high volumes of applications in the lead-up to Christmas.

Applications submitted late may not be processed in time, and obtaining supporting documentation or responses to enquiries can take longer than expected. Matters that could be dealt with easily in October or November can become considerably more challenging during the final weeks of the year.

The earlier any issues are identified, the greater the likelihood of having everything in place before the festive rush begins.

The Takeaway: Prepare Early

The festive season offers significant commercial opportunities for licensed premises, but those opportunities are best realised when the groundwork has been completed well in advance.

With Christmas now rapidly approaching, operators should take the opportunity to review their premises licence, check their local Board’s festive policy, consider whether extended hours applications may be required, and ensure their management and compliance arrangements remain up to date.

A little preparation now can help ensure that when the festive season arrives, your focus is on serving customers rather than dealing with licensing paperwork.

To help businesses stay informed, we will continue updating our Festive Policy Tracker, bringing together festive hours policies and key deadlines from Licensing Boards across Scotland as they are published.

Summary of Board Policies (2026/2027)