- July 28, 2026
Maharashtra Bans Fresh Orchestra Permits, Blocks Renewals As State Tightens Dance Bar Rules
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The govt issued a circular on Monday directing licensing authorities not to grant any new Live Music Performance (Orchestra) licences under the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. (File photo)
The Maharashtra government has stopped issuing fresh licences for live orchestra performances in hotels, restaurants and bars, while also ending the renewal of existing permits, in a major policy shift aimed at preventing the misuse of entertainment licences.
The Home Department issued a government circular on Monday directing licensing authorities not to grant any new Live Music Performance (Orchestra) licences under the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951. It also stated that existing licences will not be renewed after their expiry.
The move comes after the government found that some establishments were allegedly using orchestra licences as a way to bypass restrictions on dance performances under the state’s anti-obscene dance law.
Orchestra Licences Bypassed Dance Bar Rules: Govt
The decision follows amendments to the Maharashtra Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms (Prohibition of Obscene Dance and Protection of Dignity of Women Working Therein) Act, 2016, which recently received the Governor’s assent and were published in the state gazette on July 22.
According to the government, the 2016 legislation, which regulates dance performances in hotels, restaurants and bars, led to a sharp decline in the number of dance bar licences across Maharashtra.
However, authorities later noticed that several establishments had begun operating under orchestra licences, allegedly using them as an alternative route to continue entertainment activities that fell outside the spirit of the law.
The circular says this trend prompted the government to tighten the legal framework and eliminate the possibility of orchestra licences being used as a substitute for prohibited performances.
The proposal to amend the law was approved by the Maharashtra Cabinet on July 2 and later passed during the Monsoon Session of the state legislature.
Hotels, Bars And Restaurants To Face Impact
With the new order now in effect, police licensing authorities have been instructed not to issue new orchestra permits or renew existing ones.
The decision is expected to have a direct impact on hotels, bars and restaurants that currently organise live orchestra performances under police-issued licences. Once their present permits expire, such establishments will no longer be eligible to continue operations under the orchestra licence regime.
The move marks another step in Maharashtra’s long-running effort to regulate entertainment activities in bars and hospitality establishments while ensuring that the provisions of the 2016 law are not circumvented through alternative licensing mechanisms.
Industry stakeholders are now expected to closely study the amended law and assess its operational and commercial implications.
About the Author
Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @…Read More
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