Bliss cancels late-night events after police concerns

Bliss, a popular nightclub in Bridgwater, has canceled its late-night events after police raised concerns. The club had applied for temporary event notices to stay open until 4.30am on two Fridays and 5am on two Saturdays in November. Police referenced at least nine incidents at the club in recent months, linking them to excessive alcohol consumption and disorder. The licensing sub-committee confirmed that both event notices were withdrawn, though no official reason was provided. The club’s social media accounts did not promote the events, and the nature of the events was not fully detailed in the applications.

The club reopened in March after closing suddenly in October 2025. The event notices were set to be debated by the council’s licensing sub-committee north at a virtual hearing on October 26, but the hearing was canceled at the last minute. The police’s alcohol licensing officer objected to the event notices due to the lack of detail and the recent incidents. The licensing sub-committee confirmed that no additional event notices were received, and the applicant gave no reasoning for the withdrawals.

The club’s normal closing time is advertised as 3am on those days. For each of the extended opening dates, Mr Gardiner intended to stop selling alcohol to patrons at 4am, stressing that all conditions of the existing premises licence would be in effect. However, neither of the event notices provided further details regarding the extended opening hours.

A spokesperson for the licensing sub-committee said that the officers assumed the events were no longer going ahead. The club’s social media accounts did not promote the events, and the nature of the events was not fully detailed in the applications.