Midweek blues, steep liquor prices take fizz out of Bengaluru’s NYE buzz | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: The city’s New Year buzz appears to have fallen a little flat this time — midweek date and soaring liquor prices have taken the fizz out of the party. Pubs say bookings are down by nearly 30%, with many choosing house parties over pricey tables.A pub owner from Brigade Road shared with TOI: “So far, New Year excitement is low. Bookings are significantly lower this time, mainly because celebrations in Dec 2023 fell on a weekend, resulting in a high number of reservations. Now, demand is barely about 10% of what it was then.” He continued, “There are too many restrictions. Licence fees have increased, parking has become an issue, and we have also raised our prices. We remain uncertain about how people will respond. Typically, bookings tend to surge in the last two days. We’re hoping to reach at least 50%, but last time we had close to 800 bookings in the final stretch, and now we’re uncertain if we’ll even hit 600.”

A pub manager in JP Nagar 6th Phase said, “We are almost fully booked this year too, but we’ve noticed that reservations are coming in more slowly. We have a capacity of about 120. At this point last year, we were fully reserved, but now we still have some tables available.” He added, “This might be because people no longer want to stay in Bengaluru to party; it’s become an everyday occurrence for them. They prefer to leave and celebrate outside.“Sampath Kumar, vice president of Karnataka wine merchants’ association, explained: “There are multiple reasons for the bookings — New Year’s Eve falling midweek when many aren’t in the mood to go out, an increase in house parties, and restrictions imposed after the RCB stampede have further dampened nightlife.” He added, “While I understand the police’s perspective, the restrictions feel excessive, and loosening them slightly would benefit partygoers. Additionally, high prices have severely impacted sales. Beer sales have dropped significantly, and many customers are opting for Indian Made Liquor (IML) instead.”Partygoers are expressing frustration over the steep increase in New Year’s Eve table and entry prices, making celebrations increasingly unaffordable and driving them toward house parties. Adithi Venugopal, a 20-year-old from Jayanagar, shared her experience: “We tried to reserve a table two weeks ago for Rs 1,500, but my friends were hesitant, so we didn’t book. When we checked again two days ago, the same table was priced at Rs 3,500. The prices are high, which is one of the reasons we decided to celebrate at home.”Excise officials reported that by Dec 30 of last year, they had approved 27 requests for occasional licences, whereas this year the number sharply dropped to just seven, indicating a normal buzz for the season. Venkatesh Kumar, excise commissioner, said: “For occasional CL5 day licences, the police commissioner has permitted operations until 1am on Jan 1. So far, around 25 applications are in the pipeline, with 7 to 10 approved, compared to last year.“He added, “Even last year, the numbers weren’t that impressive. We have to wait until Wednesday, as there’s still some time. Other factors, such as the New Year falling midweek and cold weather, are also contributing to this situation.”— Inputs from Sanjana Rao