In Poland, your event bar doesn't open under an event permit: it opens under an alcohol licence, and it's the seller, not the organiser, who has to hold it. The law in question is the ustawa z dnia 26 października 1982 r. o wychowaniu w trzeźwości i przeciwdziałaniu alkoholizmowi, whose consolidated text was published as Dz.U. 2023 poz. 2151. On top of it sits Art. 8a of the mass events law. What follows is that body of law worked through with the actual figures and the real deadlines of three local councils.
Who can sell alcohol at an event in Poland?
Only a business that already holds an alcohol sales zezwolenie, or a volunteer fire brigade unit. Art. 18(1) of the 1982 Act states that the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on or off the premises "może być prowadzona tylko na podstawie zezwolenia wydanego przez wójta (burmistrza, prezydenta miasta), właściwego ze względu na lokalizację punktu sprzedaży" ("may only be carried out under a permit issued by the mayor with jurisdiction over the location of the point of sale"). The permit is tied to a specific point of sale, and a festival bar isn't that point.
That's what the one-off permit is for. Art. 18¹(1) allows "jednorazowe zezwolenia" to be issued to "przedsiębiorcom posiadającym zezwolenia na sprzedaż napojów alkoholowych oraz jednostkom Ochotniczych Straży Pożarnych" ("businesses holding alcohol sales permits and units of the Voluntary Fire Brigade"). The wording is read literally and carries a contracting consequence: if the promoter doesn't already hold a permanent permit, they can't apply for the jednorazowe and can't sell. What they sign instead is a contract with a bar, caterer or hospitality operator that already holds one.
For mass events, the law closes the loop explicitly. Art. 8a(3) of the ustawa z dnia 20 marca 2009 r. o bezpieczeństwie imprez masowych (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2023 poz. 616) states that sale and dispensing "mogą być prowadzone wyłącznie przez podmioty posiadające zezwolenie, o którym mowa w art. 18¹ ust. 1 ustawy z dnia 26 października 1982 r." ("may only be carried out by entities holding the permit referred to in Art. 18¹(1) of the Act of 26 October 1982"). There's no alternative route: at an impreza masowa, whoever pours a beer has to be carrying the one-day permit. If your event also crosses the capacity thresholds, the event-permit file runs on a separate track, which we cover in the guide to impreza masowa in Poland.
What strength can your bar serve depending on the type of event?
It depends on how the event is classified, and the range runs from 3.5% to outright prohibition. Art. 8a(1) of the 2009 Act is categorical: "Na imprezie masowej, z wyłączeniem imprezy masowej podwyższonego ryzyka, dozwolone są sprzedaż, podawanie i spożywanie napojów alkoholowych zawierających nie więcej niż 3,5% alkoholu" ("At a mass event, excluding a high-risk mass event, the sale, dispensing and consumption of alcoholic beverages containing no more than 3.5% alcohol is permitted"). A high-risk event — one where, under Art. 3 of that law, "istnieje obawa wystąpienia aktów przemocy lub agresji" ("there is a risk of acts of violence or aggression") — is left without an alcohol bar at all.
Outside mass events, the 1982 Act takes over. Its Art. 14(1) prohibits sale, dispensing and consumption "w miejscach i czasie masowych zgromadzeń" ("at the place and time of mass gatherings"), and paragraph 5 opens an exception with conditions attached: "Sprzedaż, podawanie i spożywanie napojów zawierających więcej niż 4,5% alkoholu może się odbywać na imprezach na otwartym powietrzu oraz na stadionach i innych obiektach sportowych tylko za zezwoleniem i tylko w miejscach do tego wyznaczonych" ("The sale, dispensing and consumption of beverages containing more than 4.5% alcohol may take place at outdoor events and at stadiums and other sports facilities only under permit and only in designated areas").
| Type of event | Permitted strength | Legal basis | Who can sell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary impreza masowa | Up to 3.5% | Art. 8a(1), Act of 20 Mar 2009 | Holder of jednorazowe zezwolenie |
| Impreza masowa podwyższonego ryzyka (high-risk) | Prohibited | Art. 8a(1), express exclusion | No one |
| Outdoor event, stadium or sports facility that isn't a mass event | Over 4.5% only with zezwolenie and in designated areas | Art. 14(5), Act of 26 Oct 1982 | Holder of zezwolenie |
| Concert at a venue with a permanent permit | Whatever the point-of-sale zezwolenie allows | Art. 18(1) and (3) | Holder of the point-of-sale permit |
| Place or area under a municipal ban | Prohibited | Art. 14(6), gmina uchwała | No one |
The table reveals the asymmetry that most surprises foreign promoters: a 3,000-person outdoor festival classed as an impreza masowa is capped at 3.5%, while an outdoor event that falls below the 2009 Act's thresholds can serve spirits if the council authorises it and the area is designated. The event's classification decides what's on the bar menu.
How much does the zezwolenie jednorazowe cost and how is it calculated?
Between 43.75 zł and 175 zł per drink category and per event. The sum isn't written into the law as a lump figure: it has to be worked out. Art. 18¹(3) states that the fee is paid into the gmina's account before the permit is issued "w wysokości odpowiadającej 1/12 rocznej opłaty za poszczególne rodzaje zezwoleń" ("at an amount equal to 1/12 of the annual fee for each type of permit"), and those annual fees appear in Art. 11¹(2): "Opłatę, o której mowa w ust. 1, wnosi się na rachunek gminy, przed wydaniem zezwolenia, w wysokości: 1) 525 zł…" ("The fee referred to in paragraph 1 shall be paid into the gmina's account, before the permit is issued, in the amount of: 1) 525 zł…").
| Category under Art. 18(3) | Annual fee (Art. 11¹(2)) | Jednorazowe: 1/12 | Our own calculation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 4.5% alcohol and beer | 525 zł | 43.75 zł | 525 ÷ 12 |
| Over 4.5% up to 18%, excluding beer | 525 zł | 43.75 zł | 525 ÷ 12 |
| Over 18% alcohol | 2,100 zł | 175 zł | 2,100 ÷ 12 |
All three figures are our own calculation based on Art. 11¹(2) and Art. 18¹(3), and they match those published on the official jednorazowe zezwolenie na sprzedaż alkoholu procedure page on the government portal biznes.gov.pl (accessed 10 October 2026): 43.75 zł, 43.75 zł and 175 zł. On top of that comes a 17 zł opłata skarbowa (stamp duty) if you act through a representative, and in Warsaw 5 zł per page for a certified copy, according to the Warszawa 19115 municipal service.
Three budgeting points to flag. The permit is issued "na okres do 2 dni" ("for a period of up to 2 days") under Art. 18¹(2), so a three-day festival needs more than one application. The application is filed by drink category: Bydgoszcz's procedure requires a separate form for beer, wine and spirits. And the fee is paid by the permit holder — that is, the bar: it's worth knowing whether they'll pass it back to you in the concession contract before you sign off on the concession fee.
How far in advance do you need to apply in each city?
The law doesn't set a filing deadline, but it does set a decision deadline, and councils have set their own filing windows. The biznes.gov.pl listing gives the general administrative timeframe: the decision arrives within "nie dłużej niż miesiąc" ("no more than a month"), extendable to two months for complex cases. With that horizon, applying for the permit the week of the event is a gamble.
| Council | Filing window | Decision deadline | Specific document required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bydgoszcz | No earlier than one month and no later than two weeks before the event | Up to one month from receipt of the application | Organiser's written consent and a plan of the point of sale |
| Łódź | At least two weeks before the planned sale | One month, or two for complex cases | Copy of the permanent permit and proof of payment of the annual fee |
| Warsaw | No published deadline of its own | Up to one month, two for complex cases | Location sketch showing the point of sale and its boundaries, plus ID document |
The most useful detail in that table isn't a deadline: it's the document Bydgoszcz asks for. The council requires the event organiser's written consent, which means the bar's permit depends on a document the promoter has to sign. Sign it late, and the delay is yours. In Warsaw, the application goes to the urząd dzielnicy (district office) covering the temporary point of sale, not to a central desk, and it must be accompanied by a sketch showing the boundaries of the sales area — the same plan the stewarding team will later use to mark out the Art. 8a zone.
What does the bar have to comply with during the event?
Five rules that get broken daily, and all of them come straight from the statute. The first is who can't be served. Art. 15(1) bans the sale and serving of alcohol "1) osobom, których zachowanie wskazuje, że znajdują się w stanie nietrzeźwości; 2) osobom do lat 18; 3) na kredyt lub pod zastaw" ("1) to people whose behaviour suggests they are intoxicated; 2) to people under 18; 3) on credit or against a pledge"). Paragraph 2 adds the enforcement tool: where there's doubt about age, the seller "uprawniony jest do żądania okazania dokumentu stwierdzającego wiek nabywcy" ("is entitled to require the buyer to show a document proving their age"). It's a right the bar staff hold, not a courtesy, and it's worth spelling out in the briefing. The German parallel is a useful comparison: § 5 of the Jugendschutzgesetz bars under-16s from public dances without a guardian or someone with parental responsibility present, and caps attendance "längstens bis 24 Uhr" ("until midnight at the latest") for 16 and 17-year-olds. There too, the real filter is a document checked at the door, as we cover in the guide to capacity and safety at events in Germany.
The second is the container. Art. 8a(4) of the 2009 Act states that "Niedozwolona jest sprzedaż napojów alkoholowych w twardych opakowaniach, w szczególności wykonanych ze szkła, metalu lub tworzyw sztucznych" ("The sale of alcoholic beverages in rigid packaging, in particular made of glass, metal or plastic, is prohibited"). It affects your purchasing: no bottles, cans or rigid cups at the bar, and your supplier needs to know that before the order is poured.
The third is the zone. Art. 8a restricts sale, dispensing and consumption to "miejsca do tego wyznaczone" ("designated areas"), and paragraph 5 requires the event permit application to include information on where those points are located. The fourth is access control: Art. 8(2) prohibits "wnoszenia na imprezę masową i posiadania przez osoby w niej uczestniczące (…) napojów alkoholowych" ("bringing alcoholic beverages into a mass event and possessing them while attending"), which turns bag searches for drinks into a legal obligation rather than a commercial decision.
The fifth is the permit's own conditions. Art. 18(7) requires the holder, among other things, to source only from producers and wholesalers that themselves hold the relevant zezwolenie, to hold legal title over the premises or space, and to sell only at the point specified in the permit. Breaching these isn't a technicality: it's exactly what Art. 43 punishes.
What are the penalties for selling without a permit or to a minor?
A criminal fine, confiscation and loss of the permit. Art. 43(1) of the 1982 Act states that "Kto sprzedaje lub podaje napoje alkoholowe w wypadkach, kiedy jest to zabronione, albo bez wymaganego zezwolenia lub wbrew jego warunkom, podlega grzywnie" ("Whoever sells or serves alcoholic beverages in cases where this is prohibited, or without the required permit or in breach of its conditions, is liable to a fine"). Paragraph 2 extends the same penalty to the person in charge of a premises who fails their supervisory duty. And paragraph 3 adds the part that really stings for an operator: "można orzec przepadek napojów alkoholowych, chociażby nie były własnością sprawcy, można także orzec zakaz prowadzenia działalności gospodarczej polegającej na sprzedaży lub podawaniu napojów alkoholowych" ("the court may order the confiscation of the alcoholic beverages, even if they are not the offender's property, and may also order a ban on carrying out a business activity consisting of the sale or serving of alcoholic beverages").
Running alongside that is the administrative route. Art. 18(10) requires withdrawal of the zezwolenie, among other grounds, for "sprzedaży i podawania napojów alkoholowych osobom nieletnim, nietrzeźwym, na kredyt lub pod zastaw" ("selling and serving alcoholic beverages to minors, intoxicated people, on credit or against a pledge"). For a hospitality business that lives off its annual permit, losing it matters more than the fine itself.
And there's a penalty that falls on the public, not the bar. Art. 56 of the mass events law punishes anyone who brings in or possesses alcohol at an impreza masowa contrary to the rules: "podlega karze ograniczenia wolności albo grzywny nie niższej niż 2000 zł" ("is liable to restriction of liberty or a fine of no less than 2,000 zł"). It's the most persuasive argument for the sign at the entrance: what an attendee stuffs into their bag can cost them at least 2,000 zł, because the law sets the floor for the fine, not the ceiling. For the organiser who sells without a permit, Art. 43 is compounded by the penalties for organising without a zezwolenie under Art. 58 of the 2009 Act.
Can your beer sponsor appear on the ticket?
The ticket is one of the few media the law names directly, which makes it strategically important. Art. 13¹(1) of the 1982 Act starts from a general ban: "Zabrania się na obszarze kraju reklamy i promocji napojów alkoholowych, z wyjątkiem piwa" ("Advertising and promotion of alcoholic beverages is prohibited throughout the country, with the exception of beer"), whose advertising is subject to the conditions in paragraph 2 — among them not targeting minors, not linking consumption to driving or physical performance, and not attributing medicinal properties.
Sponsorship has its own regime. Art. 13¹(5) bans disclosure of sponsorship of "imprez sportowych, koncertów muzycznych oraz innych imprez masowych" ("sporting events, music concerts and other mass events") by producers and distributors whose main business is beverages "zawierających od 8% do 18% alkoholu" ("containing from 8% to 18% alcohol"), by any means other than "umieszczanie wewnątrz dzienników i czasopism, na zaproszeniu, bilecie, plakacie, produkcie lub tablicy informacyjnej związanej z określoną imprezą nazwy producenta lub dystrybutora oraz jego znaku towarowego" ("placing the producer's or distributor's name and trademark inside newspapers and magazines, or on an invitation, ticket, poster, the product itself, or an information board linked to the specific event"). The list is closed: invitation, ticket, poster, product or board, and only the name and brand.
Paragraph 6 allows sponsorship disclosure on radio and television if it's limited to the name or brand of a producer of drinks up to 18% and the information isn't delivered by a person or using a human image. Paragraph 7 shuts the door on everything else: it bans disclosure of any other type of sponsorship by those 8%-to-18% producers and, with no exception at all, sponsorship "przez producentów i dystrybutorów napojów zawierających powyżej 18% alkoholu" ("by producers and distributors of beverages containing over 18% alcohol"). A vodka sponsor cannot appear as an event sponsor, either on the ticket or on stage.
The practical reading here is ours, not the law's: ticket design stops being purely a marketing matter. If sponsorship by a wine brand or a 12% spirit can only appear on a handful of media and the ticket is one of them, the legal team needs to sign off on which logo goes into the PDF and the wallet pass before sales open, not once the campaign is already running.
What the Sejm passed on 8 October 2026
The framework for advertising and sales may change in 2027, so it's worth tracking with the file open in front of you. The Sejm's legislative process record for druk 2007, "Poselski projekt ustawy o zmianie ustawy o wychowaniu w trzeźwości i przeciwdziałaniu alkoholizmowi oraz ustawy o świadczeniach opieki zdrowotnej finansowanych ze środków publicznych" ("Private member's bill amending the Sobriety Act and the Act on publicly funded healthcare services"), logs the third reading and passage — "uchwalono" ("passed") — at session 66, on 8 October 2026. It was processed alongside druk 2010, which also amends the broadcasting law, based on the Health Committee's report delivered on 4 August 2026 and its corrected version, 2856-A.
Passed by the Sejm doesn't mean in force. The text still has to go through the Senate and the president's signature, and be published in the Dziennik Ustaw. As of 10 October 2026, the ELI register for the 1982 act records no amendments later than the ustawa z dnia 11 czerwca 2026 r. simplifying administrative procedures (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 875), which enters into force on 1 January 2027 and also touches this law. Until publication, the provisions set out above are what's enforceable.
What's already in force is the municipal lever over opening hours: Art. 12(4) allows the gmina council to restrict night-time sales of beverages intended for consumption off the premises "między godziną 2200 a 600" ("between 10pm and 6am"). It affects shops around the venue rather than the licensed bar itself, but it changes informal supply around the site. Before signing sponsorships or the drinks list for the 2027 season, it's worth re-reading Art. 13¹ in the consolidated text and checking the gmina's uchwały.
Checklist before opening the bar
- Check who holds the permit, with number and date. If it isn't you, the criminal liability under Art. 43 falls on the bar, but you're the one left without alcohol at the event. Ask for a copy of the permanent zezwolenie and proof of payment of the annual fee, as Łódź requires.
- Sign the organiser's consent early. Bydgoszcz requires it in the application, and the window closes two weeks before the event.
- Budget for one application per two days and per category. Art. 18¹(2) caps the permit at two days, and councils require a separate form per drink type.
- Fix the strength in the concession contract. If the event is an impreza masowa, the ceiling is 3.5% with no exceptions; if it's high-risk, there's no alcohol bar at all.
- Mark the zone on the application's floor plan. Art. 8a requires the location of sales points to be declared and consumption restricted to those areas.
- Train staff on asking for ID. Art. 15(2) authorises requiring proof of age; failing to do so risks the permit being withdrawn under Art. 18(10).
- Check containers with your supplier. Nothing rigid in glass, metal or plastic, under Art. 8a(4).
- Warn attendees at the entrance and in the rules. Bringing in alcohol exposes an attendee to a fine of no less than 2,000 zł under Art. 56.
- Run the sponsor's logo past the Art. 13¹ filter. For drinks between 8% and 18%, only name and brand, and only on the closed list of media in paragraph 5.
And what does Futura Tickets cover?
No ticketing platform replaces a zezwolenie: that's issued by the council to the holder of the point of sale. What the software does handle is the operational side hanging off those rules: flagging under-18 tickets so the bar staff recognise them, controlling what's sold where, and taking payment with no network. Futura Tickets' RFID/NFC wristbands and cards process payments 100% offline, in under a second, even if coverage drops — which is the normal state for a packed outdoor site. Futura Tickets' cashless and POS systems are in beta. Futura Tickets charges no monthly fee: £0 a month, just a commission per ticket sold. If you're coming from a cash-bar model, the shift is similar to what we describe in the guides to digital bars and POS systems and cashless payments at events, and the product page is at ticketing software.
Conclusion
Poland's rule on alcohol at events boils down to three numbers and one document. The numbers: 3.5% maximum strength at an impreza masowa, two days' validity per permit, and between 43.75 zł and 175 zł in fees per category. The document: the zezwolenie jednorazowe under Art. 18¹(1), which only someone who already holds a sales permit can apply for, and which in Bydgoszcz requires your consent as organiser with two weeks' notice. The rest of the file — capacity, safety, ZAiKS or invoicing — runs on separate tracks, which we cover in the guides to ZAiKS and STOART for events in Poland and selling tickets in Poland with KSeF and VAT.
Sources
- Ustawa z dnia 26 października 1982 r. o wychowaniu w trzeźwości i przeciwdziałaniu alkoholizmowi, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2023 poz. 2151 (Sejm RP, ELI register)
- ELI register of the base act Dz.U. 1982 nr 35 poz. 230, with the list of amending acts (Sejm RP)
- Ustawa z dnia 20 marca 2009 r. o bezpieczeństwie imprez masowych, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2023 poz. 616 (Sejm RP)
- Ustawa z dnia 11 czerwca 2026 r. o zmianie niektórych ustaw w celu uproszczenia procedur administracyjnych, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 875 (Sejm RP)
- Legislative process for druk 2007: third reading and passage on 8 October 2026 (Sejm RP)
- Druk 2856, Health Committee report of 4 August 2026 (Sejm RP)
- Druk 2010, bill amending the Sobriety Act and the Broadcasting Act (Sejm RP)
- § 5 Jugendschutzgesetz (JuSchG), Tanzveranstaltungen — Gesetze im Internet (Bundesministerium der Justiz)
- Jednorazowe zezwolenie na sprzedaż alkoholu: official procedure page (biznes.gov.pl, Government of Poland)
- Jednorazowe zezwolenie na sprzedaż napojów alkoholowych (Warszawa 19115, City of Warsaw)
- Wydawanie jednorazowych zezwoleń na sprzedaż napojów alkoholowych, procedure KA-01511-1 (Urząd Miasta Łodzi)
- Jednorazowe zezwolenie na sprzedaż napojów alkoholowych, case UMB98 (Urząd Miasta Bydgoszczy)