Pubs in England could be allowed to stay open until 1am during next summer’s World Cup should the national team reach the quarter-finals, semi-finals or final, under plans being drawn up by the Home Office ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
With matches expected to kick off later in the evening to avoid extreme heat across North America, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is proposing an extension to licensing hours so supporters can watch key fixtures and celebrate on home soil.
The government expects demand to be significant, with estimates suggesting as many as 55 million pints could be served during the 2026 finals, according to The Sun.
The World Cup draw takes place tomorrow in Washington DC, with kick-off times to be announced on Saturday. Current projections indicate that fixtures could begin at 5pm, 8pm, 11pm or even 2am UK time.
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A six-week consultation launching today will consider allowing all licensed premises in England and Wales to open until 1am for any England match starting at 9pm or earlier.
Wales must still qualify via the play-offs, while Scotland - already guaranteed a place at the finals - and Northern Ireland, who also face play-offs, operate under separate licensing rules but may choose to follow a similar model.
Pubs in England could be allowed to stay open until 1am during next summer’s World Cup should the national team reach the quarter-finals, semi-finals or final, under plans being drawn up by the Home Office ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico
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Emma McClarkin, of the British Beer and Pub Association, welcomed the proposals, saying there was “no better place than the pub” to watch matches of national importance.
Lawson Mountstevens, who runs Star Pubs, added: “Big set-piece events like the World Cup are massive for bringing people together. Typically we see trade increase by over 20 per cent during these tournaments.”
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England's record in their last five major tournaments | PA/GETTYKate Nicholls of UKHospitality said extended opening times would offer welcome relief to a strained industry, while publican Mike Dove, who manages the Three Horseshoes in Witney, Oxfordshire, said: “We’ll put a heck of a party on if England make the final stages and serve as late as we’re allowed to. But we also need help now.”
Major football tournaments have previously delivered notable boosts to the UK economy.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar contributed to a 0.1 per cent rise in GDP that November.
England’s unexpected run to the semi-finals in Russia in 2018 drove a surge in hospitality spending, with Danni Hewson of AJ Bell noting: “That storming run resulted in millions more pints being pulled, pizzas scoffed, and bets placed.
England fans going to the pub boosts the economy
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"The general feel-good factor is also thought to have boosted consumer spend generally.
"With UK economic growth flatlining in the last few months, the prospect of a summer of sport to lift the spirits could be just the tonic the economy needs.”
If England deliver a deep run in 2026, the nation’s pubs could once again become the centrepiece of a broader economic and social lift - provided the licensing rules fall into place in time.