No bars have applied to the Dunedin City Council (DCC) to stay open into Christmas Day, after it indicated it would stick to the letter of law this year.
In past years, the DCC has allowed bars to stay open into Christmas day, Eight were given exemption to stay open until 1.30am last Christmas.
However, this year the DCC hearings committee sent out an email saying applications would not be accepted unless there was a "genuine event", liquor licensing and projects officer Kevin Mechen said.
The DCC has changed its stance because draft legislation before Parliament would strictly prohibit on-licences from opening on the three and a-half "sacrosanct" days of Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and before 1pm on Anzac Day.
