This is the third change to the regulations that came into effect on March 1, 2023, published in the Official Gazette of the Union, and also includes the expansion of the so-called Containment Zone, which will cover practically the entire downtown area of ​​Porto.

In this area, the sale of alcoholic beverages after 9:00 pm is only permitted in cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Establishments such as supermarkets, convenience stores, souvenir shops and wine cellars are excluded.

Still in the Containment Zone, terraces will now have limited opening hours, although there are some flexible opening hours for terraces in the three Movida zones (Movida Core, Protected Zone and Containment Zone).

“What justifies this is our conviction that this phenomenon in several parts of the city is causing harm and having an impact on urban security”, explained the Councillor for Economic Activities and Inspection to Lusa.

Filipa Correia Pinto guaranteed that there will be “very strict” inspections with “heavy” sanctions, to “strengthen people’s sense of security and to guarantee the organisation of public spaces”.

Another “significant” change, according to the mayor, is the review of the sanctioning framework that applies to violations of the rules of the regulation, with the introduction of a mechanism for the precautionary closure of the establishment.

In “certain circumstances, and duly justified,” the inspection bodies may “immediately close an establishment that is not complying, with an impact on the safety and comfort of those who frequent the place,” she explained, adding that temporary closure is also foreseen as an additional sanction.

“What we noticed is that the successive application of fines did not dissuade economic agents from continuing to violate the rules, because paying the fine was worth it, because the fines were low”.

In addition, economic agents who have a record of convictions for violations may no longer have access to the extended hours.

According to the mayor, an awareness campaign about the new rules is scheduled to be implemented in the coming days, believing that these changes will satisfy not only residents but also economic agents, “and will certainly improve the quality of the nightlife.”

The regulation should come into effect on the first business day after its publication, that is, Monday, June 23, but this date, the eve of the Saint John's Day holiday, is precisely one of the two exceptions provided for (the other is on the night of December 31 to January 1).

According to DR, the changes to the regulation are justified by “their adaptation to the new reality and to the phenomena that have been spreading and that carry the risk not only of changing the character of the Movida Zone, but also of disqualifying an ecosystem that, if well regulated and well managed, could be a distinctive feature and a factor in the city's development.”