Dry Days 2026: Will Liquor Shops Be Open or Closed in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru? City-Wise Dry Day List

Alcohol will not be sold on 28 notified dry days in 2026 in major Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. These no-liquor days cover key national holidays and many major religious festivals between January and December, under state excise notifications.

On each dry day, retail liquor outlets, bars, pubs and similar venues must stay closed. Service of alcohol is barred on these dates, which include Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Holi, Diwali, Eid festivals and Christmas, among other observances.

Dry Days 2026 calendar across major Indian cities

Dry days apply across the year and vary slightly by state, with some dates specific to Maharashtra, Karnataka or Delhi-NCR. The list below shows the announced dry days for 2026, month by month, and notes where restrictions are limited to certain regions.

Month	Date	Day	Occasion	Applicability
January	26	Monday	Republic Day	All major cities
February	15	Sunday	Shivratri	All major cities
February	19	Thursday	Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti	Maharashtra only
February	23	Monday	Swami Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti	All major cities
March	4	Wednesday	Holi	All major cities
March	20	Friday	Eid ul-Fitr	All major cities
March	23	Monday	Shaheed Diwas	Maharashtra only
March	26	Friday	Ram Navami	All major cities
April	3	Friday	Good Friday	All major cities
April	10	Friday	Mahavir Jayanti	All major cities
April	14	Tuesday	Ambedkar Jayanti	All major cities
May	1	Friday	Labour Day / Maharashtra Day / Buddha Purnima	All major cities
May	27	Wednesday	Bakrid / Eid-al-Adha	All major cities
June	26	Friday	Muharram	All major cities
July	25	Saturday	Ashadi Ekadashi	All major cities
July	29	Wednesday	Guru Purnima	All major cities
August	15	Saturday	Independence Day	All major cities
August	25	Tuesday	Eid-e-Milad	All major cities
September	4	Friday	Janmashtami	All major cities
September	14	Monday	Ganesh Chaturthi	Maharashtra & Karnataka only
September	25	Friday	Anant Chaturdashi	Maharashtra only
October	2	Friday	Gandhi Jayanti	All major cities
October	7	Wednesday	Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti	All major cities
October	20	Tuesday	Dussehra	All major cities
November	5	Thursday	Kartiki Ekadashi	All major cities
November	8	Sunday	Diwali	Delhi-NCR only
November	24	Tuesday	Guru Nanak Jayanti	All major cities
December	25	Friday	Christmas	All major cities

Dry Days 2026 rules for liquor outlets and travellers

Dry days 2026 rules stem from annual circulars issued by state excise departments. These directions bind licence holders across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and other large cities. Outlets that usually serve or sell alcohol must stop operations for the full calendar day.

Most dates are linked to national importance or major religious events, so authorities extend the restrictions widely. Some observances, such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi and Anant Chaturdashi, are notified only in Maharashtra or in both Maharashtra and Karnataka.

For Delhi-NCR, Diwali on 8 November 2026 is officially listed as a dry day. In contrast, Ganesh Chaturthi restrictions apply specifically to Maharashtra and Karnataka, while Shaheed Diwas and Anant Chaturdashi are notified only for Maharashtra, reflecting local practices.

The 28 dry days 2026 schedule means residents and visitors need to plan purchases and celebrations in advance. With bars, pubs and retail stores closed on these notified dates, people in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru must adjust social and travel plans accordingly.

Credit: Oneindia