Overview

• The ban prohibits alcohol sales from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. inside Porto’s downtown containment zone, which encompasses nightlife hubs such as Rua de Galeria de Paris.
• Supermarkets, convenience stores, wine cellars, and souvenir shops are barred from selling alcohol during restricted hours; licensed bars, cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs remain exempt.
• Authorities are conducting rigorous on-site inspections to enforce immediate closures for venues that breach the rules, after fines proved too low to deter violations.
• Councillor Filipa Correia Pinto says the measure is essential to dismantle ‘bottellon’ street-drinking culture; Mayor Rui Moreira has stressed the need for enhanced urban security.
• Porto’s restrictions echo recent measures in locations such as Majorca, where nighttime bans on public alcohol consumption have been imposed.