The Excise Department has ordered the closure of all liquor outlets across Sri Lanka for two significant Poya holidays in May 2026. Outlets will be closed on May 1st, 2026, which coincides with Labour Day and a Poya day. Further closures are mandated for May 30th and 31st, 2026, to mark the National Vesak Festival. The department has specified that closures for Vesak will commence from the evening of May 29th until the morning of June 1st, 2026. This directive aims to observe the religious and public holidays.
The Pulse
PoliticsGeneralHOT3h ago
Liquor Outlets and Other Businesses to Close on May 30-31 for Vesak Festival 2026
TLDR
Liquor outlets closed May 1, 2026 for Labour Day/Poya.
Vesak: Liquor outlets shut May 29 evening to June 1 morning.
Meat shops, casinos, nightclubs also closed 3 days for Vesak.
Story Update
Update #2\u00b7 May 27 · 12:31 PM