Key points at a glance:
- The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Amendment Bill passed its third reading on 1 April 2026, with Royal Assent expected 2 April — meaning the new rules apply this Easter weekend
- On-licence venues permitted to open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day can now serve alcohol under normal licence conditions
- The requirement to serve a “substantial meal” alongside alcohol on these days has been removed entirely
- Venues can now also remain open past midnight on the eve of restricted days, within their normal permitted trading hours
- Off-licences and supermarkets are not affected — existing restrictions on those premises remain
Easter weekend has long been one of the most confusing periods on the hospitality calendar — particularly because of the patchwork of different rules that apply to each day of the long weekend. With the passing of the Sale and Supplier of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill tat confusion can be a thing of the past .
On 1 April 2026, Parliament passed the Bill on its third reading, with Royal Assent expected on Thursday 2 April. That means the new rules are in effect for this Easter weekend.
This is change that we welcome.
What’s changed
Until now, on-licence venues that were permitted to open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day could only serve alcohol to guests who were “present on the premises to dine” — specifically, those who had ordered a “substantial meal.” That term was never defined in law, and guests weren’t even required to eat the meal, just purchase it.
The result was a situation that was often unworkable. As our Restaurant Association president Mike Egan describes it, the law was “a relic” that created daily friction with guests simply wanting a drink after a walk or a bike ride.
The new law removes the meal requirement entirely for on-licence premises. If your venue is permitted to open on these days, you can now serve alcohol under your normal licence conditions — no caveats, no meal thresholds, no grey areas.
It’s also worth noting an amendment from ACT MP Cameron Luxton that was adopted into the bill: venues can now remain open past midnight on the eve of these restricted days, operating within their normal permitted trading hours. No more last drinks at 11:59pm.
What hasn’t changed
This legislation is specifically targeted at on-licence premises. Off-licences and supermarkets remain subject to existing restrictions on these days. The overall framework of which days carry restrictions has not changed — this is about how on-licence venues operate on those days, not about expanding access more broadly.
The impact for Restaurants and Cafés
For most of our members — restaurants and cafés — the practical day-to-day impact may be more modest than for bars, since you were already able to serve alcohol alongside food. But the removal of the “substantial meal” requirement is still important and removing the confusion around operating on these restricted days is something we support. The rules are now consistent with every other weekend of the year, and that consistency has real value — for your staff, for our customers, and for the experience you’re offering.
Our view
We have long supported reform of Easter trading rules as they apply to hospitality. The previous legislation created confusion without providing benefit. What it did do was make life harder for operators, create unnecessary tension with customers, and make New Zealand hospitality look a little old-fashioned to international visitors.
The Bill was put forward by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty, and cross-party support that made it possible to pass the Bill.
One important note: many of your customers may not know the rules have changed. Given the legislation passed with such short notice before the long Easter weekend, there’s likely to be some public uncertainty about what’s now possible. We encourage you to communicate openly — on your social channels, your website, and at your venue — that you’re open and operating as normal. This is a good news for hospitality, and your customers will appreciate knowing they can come and enjoy your venue without the old complications.
More information: