Filenews 23 December 2025 - by Charalambos Zakos
Entertainment and recreation centers will be able to remain open until three and four in the morning (depending on the day) throughout the festive season, following the latest decision of the Ministry of the Interior, which is expected to give breath to both entrepreneurs in the sector and consumers.
According to information from "F", the Ministry of the Interior accepted the request of the owners of leisure centers and decided to extend by one hour the opening hours of cafes, restaurants and music and dance centers, exclusively for the holiday season.
In particular, from the 20th of the month until January 7, 2026, recreation centers can legally remain open until 3 a.m. on weekdays and until 4 a.m. on other days, essentially ensuring an additional hour of operation.
Thus, every Sunday and from Monday to Thursday the centers will be able to operate until 3 a.m., instead of until 2 a.m. as normally planned, while on Friday and Saturday they will remain open until 4 a.m., instead of until 3 a.m.
As clarified, this regulation will only apply to the festive season and until January 7, 2026. After this date, the leisure centres will return to their normal opening hours, as provided for by the current legislation.
The request of the owners of the recreation centers was based on the fact that both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve this year coincide with everyday days. As they mentioned, the restriction of hours created uncertainty for customers who wished to celebrate the turn of the year and Christmas in a music and dance center, negatively affecting their planning.
"We are ready"
The general secretary of the Pancyprian Association of Leisure Center Owners (PASIKA), Fanos Leventis, speaking to "F", said that so far bookings for the festive season are at satisfactory levels.
As he noted, the extension of working hours is expected to make it easier for both businessmen and customers who choose to have fun outside the home.
Regarding prices, Mr. Leventis said that the leisure centers offer various packages for the festive season, pointing out that the goal is to give everyone the opportunity to have fun, regardless of financial status.
As he said, there are options for all budgets, with some entrepreneurs having made increases through special packages, while others have chosen to keep the existing menus and prices that apply throughout the year, thus allowing more flexibility for consumers.
Regarding personnel issues, Mr. Leventis stated that, at the moment, the recreation centers have been reinforced with employees due to the fact that many beach shops have closed due to the winter season.
As he noted, the owners of the centers are ready to offer both quality and very good service to their customers.
