app-store-connectios-appstore
iTunes Connect says:
Make sure your apps are up-to-date and ready for the winter holidays. New apps and app updates will not be accepted December 23 to 27 (Pacific Time), so any releases should be submitted, approved, and scheduled in advance. Other iTunes Connect and developer account features will remain available.
If I have the app already approved by Apple before the deadline, can I still release it on Christmas if I use the "manual release" or "automatically release no later than" option?
I have the same issue on my iPad, and if you search the store, it seems to be hidden. If I search the store on my Mac in iTunes, it shows up though.
The direct link to it is http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itunes-connect-mobile/id376771144?mt=8
It also is a universal app, so it has an interface designed for the iPad.
Clicking this link on my iPad though still doesn't take me to the actual app. I think this may be a bug in the App Store. I can see it in iTunes on my computer and add it to my iPad that way.
After syncing it to my iPad through my computer, it launches fine, will connect, and looks good. The copyright on the app is 2010 though, so it looks like it hasn't been updated in a while (for example, no retina graphics on iPad). I did have a few times it threw an error saying it couldn't connect. I also don't have any apps in thee right now to test.
The pragmatic way to ensure all testers are off the app is to wait the 30 days for the build to expire and have them manually grab the store version.
You could also upload a new beta build instructing them to do the same. That way they get an email from Apple with the news you want to convey to them and a limited duration to get them all off that build.
Best Answer
This could be a question that no-one here can answer unless they've previously tried to do this over the Christmas period, so my suggestion would be to call the Apple Developer Program Support number for your country.
To find the number, refer to: https://developer.apple.com/contact/phone/
I just feel this is the best way for you to get a definitive answer.