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Nightclub and late bar tickets will need to be booked an hour in advance

Pub and club owners have sought a two-week grace period to allow them to implement a ticketing system.
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

11.44 26 Oct 2021


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Nightclub and late bar tickets...

Nightclub and late bar tickets will need to be booked an hour in advance

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

11.44 26 Oct 2021


Share this article


Tickets into nightclubs and late bars will have to be booked at least an hour in advance.

Government officials have told representatives of the hospitality sector at a meeting this morning that all tickets will have to be digital.

Congregation outside of clubs will be prohibited, with only ticket holders allowed to queue up.

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The need for a ticket will be determined on whether a venue has dancing - meaning live music in pubs will not require a ticket, unless there is dancing.

However, the industry is now looking for a two-week 'grace period' before the rules come into effect, saying they need time to prepare.

Some uncertainty remains about the exact details of some of the new measures.

With a requirement that tickets must be booked one hour in advance, industry representatives believe this is one hour ahead of someone attending - rather than one hour before the venue opens.

Ticketing will be required for pubs that turn into nightclubs, but there's no clarity on how that will be managed.

It’s unclear if someone sitting in one of those pubs would be kicked out at 11.30 pm if they don’t have a ticket.

Questions also remain about how exactly the measures will be policed or enforced.

Michael O’Donovan - Cork chairperson of the VFI and owner of Castle Inn - told The Pat Kenny Show the situation around the guidelines has become “farcical”.

Nightclub and late bar tickets will need to be booked an hour in advance

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He said: “The practicalities of this are just really difficult to work out.

“Most venues wouldn’t have ticketing systems, so even the cost of getting in a ticketing system at this stage for this weekend… this needs to be worked out and worked through.

"I just don’t think it’s practical to bring it in this weekend.”

This week saw the Cork Jazz Festival taking place, and Mr O’Donovan said “many, many premises” were checked by the HSE and HSA to ensure guidelines were being followed.

He said he hopes that will continue, as it’s what will “keep the sector open”.

Detailed guidelines about reopening - including the need for tickets - were only published on Friday evening, just as nightclubs were reopening for the first time in 18 months.

While venues were allowed to reopen without the need for tickets over the weekend, the Government's expected to formally approve the new guidelines on Thursday.

Main image: The bar at Tramline nightclub in Dublin. Picture: PA Images

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