– The Excise Department has announced that all liquor stores across the island will remain closed on May 30 and 31 in view of the 2026 Vesak Festival.Excise Commissioner General Premaratne Bandara confirmed the closure when contacted.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government has announced that meat shops, slaughterhouses, betting centres, casinos and nightclubs will also remain closed for three days in line with the National Vesak Festival.

Accordingly, instructions have been issued to close all animal slaughterhouses and meat shops islandwide, suspend the sale of meat in supermarkets, and shut down betting centres, casinos and nightclubs from May 30 to June 1.The Vesak Week has been declared from May 27 to June 2 in conjunction with the 2026 State Vesak Festival, which is being held to commemorate the ‘Sambuddhatva Jayanthi’.