Liquor shops across Delhiwill remain open on Holi this year after the Delhi government removed the festival from its list of “dry days”, a senior excise department official said on Tuesday. According to an order issued on January 15, 2026 under Rule 52 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010, the capital will observe dry days only on Id-ul-Fitr (March 21), Ram Navami (March 26) and Mahavir Jayanti (March 31) up to the end of March. Holi does not figure in the list, allowing liquor vends to function as usual on the festival.
“This Holi, there will be no dry day, and liquor shops will remain open. The closure of shops will be observed as per the order issued in January,” the official said. All 810 liquor vends across the capital will remain open on Holi, and sales will follow normal business hours, 10 am to 10 pm, as reported by PTI.
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Why did the government change the dry-day list?
Officials said the move was taken with public health and enforcement concerns in mind. The excise department has observed that smuggling and black-market sales rise around Holi when licensed outlets are shut, the official said, adding that some people turn to illegal suppliers and may end up consuming spurious liquor, posing health risks.
“The decision has been taken keeping in mind the health of the people and also to curb the illegal supply of liquor… So, to curb smuggling and illegal sale of liquor, the department has removed Holi from the dry day list. We also want to ensure that people consume authentic alcohol from government-run shops…,” the official said as quoted by PTI.
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The official also said the step would help the government recover revenue that was being lost to neighbouring markets when Delhi observed a Holi dry day. “This will also help the government recover the revenue it was losing out to cities like Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad,” the official added.
Details of the January 15 order
The January 15, 2026 order lists the dry days to be followed till the end of March and adds that licence holders “shall not be entitled to any compensation” for changes made in the notified list. It also notes that the restriction on sale of liquor on the notified dry days does not apply to hotels serving liquor to residents/guests under the applicable licence category, as mentioned in the order. |
