The majority of Icelanders are in favor of bars and nightclubs closing earlier—even after COVID restrictions are lifted, Vísir reports. A recent survey conducted by Maskína showed that 63% of respondents were “very in favor” or “moderately in favor” of significantly reduced hours, while only 18% reported being “very opposed” or “moderately opposed” to tighter restrictions.
The opening hours of bars and clubs have fluctuated a lot since March 2020, but even after infections levels dropped recently, there has been some question as to whether permanently reduced hours might be for the better. Under normal circumstances, bars and clubs are permitted to stay open until 4:30 AM on weekends and 1:00 AM on weeknights.
Age had a significant impact on respondents’ feelings on the matter. Only 29.9% of people aged 18-29 were strongly in favor of shorter opening hours, and 18.9% were moderately in favor of it. Perhaps more surprising is that only 8.7% of respondents in this demographic reported being strongly opposed to shortening opening hours.
Partnered status also impacted responses: around 48% of single people support shorter bar and club hours, versus 66% of respondents who cohabitat with a partner.
