Последний звонок: правила и время закрытия баров в разных странах.

Overview of the term

In a bar, a last call (last orders) is an announcement made shortly before the bar closes for the night, informing patrons of their last chance to buy alcoholic beverages. There are various means to make the signal, like ringing a bell, flashing the lights, or announcing verbally. Last call times are often legally mandated and vary widely globally as well as locally. Legislation's purposes include reducing late night noise in the neighborhood, traffic crashes, violence, and alcohol related health problems.

In New South Wales, there is no specified closing time, but in residential areas, bars are often required to close at midnight. In non residential areas, some bars are open 24 hours. A six hour daily closure period applies to new licenses (and extended hours authorizations) granted from 30 October 2008, which is nominated depending on individual and community circumstances. During a significant part of the early 20th century, bars in Australia and New Zealand were closed at 6p. m. by law. The resulting rush to buy drinks after work was known as the six o'clock swill.

Bar closing hours in Austria are regulated by the federated states. In most states bars must close at 4a. m. although many places have special permits to close later. In the capital, Vienna, bars and clubs are allowed to stay open until 6a. m. Alcohol is allowed to be served until the bar or club closes.

There is no legally mandated last call in Belgium; many bars will stay open all night.

There is no legally mandated last call in Brazil; many bars will stay open all night. Some cities have laws that require bars to close during the early morning hours.

British Columbia: Last call for serving alcohol is generally 2:00 a. m. provincially. Municipalities may change last call to as early as 12a. m. or as late as 4a. m. if they so choose. Downtown Vancouver's last call was moved to 4:00 a. m. but was subsequently lowered to 3a. m. On New Year's Eve last call is extended to 4a. m. provincewide if food is available to patrons at the premises. Regulated liquor stores (both private and government operated) can sell off premises alcohol from 9:00 a. m. until 11:00p. m., with government operated liquor stores typically closing before 9p. m.
Alberta: Last call and sale of alcohol from a store or establishment is 2a. m. province wide. In an establishment, a customer may have no more than two drinks in possession after 1a. m. or last call, whatever comes first. All liquor drinks are to be removed from patron areas by 3:00a. m. at the latest. Manitoba: Last call and the sale of alcohol from a store or establishment is 2a. m. province wide. During special events, establishments are permitted to serve alcohol until 3a. m.
Ontario: Last call begins at 1:45a. m. and fifteen minutes are allowed for ordering an alcoholic beverage. It is no longer legally permissible to serve alcohol past 2a. m., although the province has the authority to grant waivers to allow closing at 4a. m. during special events. On New Year's Eve, all licensed premises are allowed to serve until 3:00 a. m. In all cases, there is always an added 45 minute "consumption period" allowing patrons additional time to consume their purchases after alcohol sales have ended. Even though licensed establishments are never required to close their doors by a certain time, all alcohol must be removed by the end of the consumption period. Alcohol sales may occur only within regulated stores, which will always close between 9p. m. and 11p. m., depending on the location or the store (LCBO, Beer Store, Wine Stores or selected grocery stores). Quebec: Last call is 3a. m. province wide for establishments serving alcohol (with some exceptions), while the sale of alcohol from a store is restricted after 11p. m. Bars may allow customers to stay until 4a. m. but may not serve alcohol past 3a. m. Bars across the river from Ottawa (Hull area) close at 2a. m. to match their Ontario counterparts. New Brunswick: Sales can start at 11:00 a. m. but must end at 2:00 a. m. the following day. A tolerance period of 30 minutes, beyond 2:00 a. m., is allowed to give patrons time to consume their beverage. At 2:30 a. m. the premises must be vacated. Newfoundland and Labrador: Last call is 2a. m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and 3a. m. the rest of the week. There is then a 30 minute "consumption period" before bars must close. Nova Scotia: Last call for most establishments is 2a. m., Cabaret businesses are allowed to serve until 3:30 a. m.
Saskatchewan: Last call is 2a. m. On New Year's Eve, it is extended until 2:30 a. m. (on Jan. 1). Northwest Territories; Yukon: Last call is 2a. m., extended to 3a. m. on New Year's Eve.

Many bars, KTVs and nightclubs have no specific last call and will continue to sell alcohol and stay open provided there are paying customers present. During times when national security is increased (i. e. the Olympics, the 60th Anniversary of the PRC), closing times may be in effect in some cities between 1 and 2a. m. Alcohol is sold through retailers 24 hours a day.

Establishments that serve drinks may register as bars and may be open in inhabited areas only indoors and only between 9p. m. and 6a. m., but no such restrictions exist if bars are located outside inhabited areas. Various exceptions can be made for bars located in transit facilities, if approved by the local authorities, etc. The prescribed working hours for bars are a frequent point of contention between city authorities and local businessmen, particularly during the summer tourist season.

Bars are allowed to serve drinks until 1:30 a. m., but a provincial government may at the proprietor's request, grant extensions up to 4a. m. Extensions require the establishment to maintain a higher standard of amenities, service and entertainment by, for example, providing a coat check, entertainment programming such as a DJ or live music, and even general cleanliness and "look and feel" count. The laws were loosened beginning of 2018. A last call is not announced per se, but as a custom, the lights are flashed a few times (or in case of a dimly lit establishment such as a nightclub, all lights are left on) to notify the customers that serving drinks is over. In Finnish lexicon "valomerkki" (lit. "Light signal") has become a common synonym for ending any activities for the night.

Bar closing hours in Germany are regulated by the federated states or cities. Since the 2000s, many federated states and cities have none or relaxed regulations. In many states and cities bars are open as long as there are customers. Open air locations such as beer gardens often must close at 11p. m. or 12a. m. to reduce noise pollution. Exceptions may exist for weekends, Carnival and New Year's Eve. Not all cities strictly enforce the regulation.

In Greece, all bars, cafeterias, clubs and the like will stay open as long as there are customers inside. Usually, cafeterias stay open until 11p. m., bars until 2a. m. and clubs until early in the morning, but there is no last call. In 1994, Stelios Papathemelis, the Minister for Public Order, passed a law mandating closing of all bars at 2a. m. The law was widely unpopular, never materialized fully and was abolished a few years later.

India closing time of bars vary in different states. In Delhi it is 1am, Mumbai 1:30am, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata at midnight. In Chandigarh it is 1a. m. weekdays and 2a. m. weekends. In Bangalore it is 11:30 p. m. on weekdays and 1am on Friday and Saturday nights.

Bar closing hours are governed by the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2000. Generally, bars must close at 23:30 Sunday to Thursday and 00:30 on Friday and Saturday. There are special provisions for certain holidays and festivals. Bars may get an extended license until 02:30 any night. On 25 October 2022, the Government announced a reform of licensing laws in the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022. If passed, the law would permit bars to open until 00:30 every day. "Late bars" would continue to be permitted to open until 02:30, and nightclubs would be permitted to open until 06:00 (with the sale of alcohol ending at 05:00).

In Israel, there are no specific closing times and the country has liberal alcohol laws. Bars and clubs in entertainment districts will serve alcohol practically 24 hours a day, while in residential districts local regulations apply; establishments that serve alcohol outside may often have to call their guests inside after midnight or even close completely. In 2006, Knesset member Ruhama Avraham attempted to pass a bill in parliament that would forbid selling alcohol between 2 and 6a. m. The bill faced severe resistance from bar and restaurant owners and finally was drawn back. In Tel Aviv, bars are fined for remaining open past 1a. m. Though few bars actually close at that time, they are forced to pay the "back door" tax to the municipality, with no recourse to the national government. A number of bars are contemplated closing at the required time and during internationally promoted events such as Gay Pride Week in protest of the city's underhanded hypocrisy in promoting itself as "the city that never sleeps" but also fining the very establishments that make it such a hot tourist spot. Alcohol is no longer sold around the clock in grocery stores, and no sales are allowed between 11p. m. and 6a. m.

Italy does not have a legally mandated closing time. Alcohol may be served or sold anywhere 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In Rome, an ordinance was passed in January 2009 to make 2a. m. the last call in Campo de' Fiori and the neighbourhoods of Trastevere and Testaccio. The new last call time for these areas was initiated to curtail nighttime commotion in those popular parts of Rome.

Japan does not have a legally mandated closing time. Alcohol may be served or sold anywhere 24 hours a day.

Until December 18, 2013, bars could close at any time they wanted (often 7am). Since December 18, 2013, all bars and nightclubs must close at 3 or 4am. Special conditions apply on Holy/ Maundy Thursday, Holy Saturday (Easter Eve), the day before ANZAC day and Christmas Eve, when bars must close their doors by midnight. Private bars and workingmen's clubs may stay open beyond that curfew.

In Sweden, explicit last calls do not take place, as it would violate a political principle not to encourage people to drink more. The latest allowed closing time of bars and restaurant is decided by the municipality but regulated by national laws and rules. The standard latest time is 1a. m. But in many cities a later time can be allowed on some conditions, like high security and staff educated in responsible serving of alcohol. In some of the largest cities, a closing time as late as 5a. m. occurs. During the coronavirus pandemic 2020 2021 the alcohol law was used to limit the number of visitors to bars and restaurants (only for those serving alcohol) by setting the closing time to 8p. m.

Turkey does not have a legally mandated closing time. In the new Turkish system, alcohol may no longer be sold in grocery stores past 11pm, but may still be sold in bars and clubs with no legally mandated last call.

Standard closing time was 11pm, but increased flexibility was allowed in November 2005 under the Licensing Act 2003. The average "Last Call" time is between 11pm and 1am in municipalities such as Birmingham and London. This information was taken from two hundred bars from 2014 to 2016. Bars and clubs may apply for individual licenses that allow them to close at any time between 11pm and 3am. Some establishments in large cities have 24 hour licenses.