Licensed venues will be permitted to remain open for extended hours following the government's decision to prolong licensing hours in England and Scotland beyond the group stages of the tournament.
The extension, known as a contingent Licensing Hours Order, has been introduced to support the hospitality industry and is expected to provide a positive boost to the local economy throughout the duration of the major sporting event.
The Order permits licensed premises in England and Wales that are currently authorised to operate until 11pm to extend their opening hours for the sale and supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises. It also enables the continued provision of late-night refreshment, subject to their existing premises licence conditions.
When England or Scotland are playing, licensed venues can stay open:
- Until 1am for matches kicking off between 5pm and 9pm
- Until 2am for matches kicking off between 9pm and 10pm
Pubs across England and Wales can stay open until 5:00am on Monday 6th July for England's World Cup round-of-16 match against Mexico, allowing fans to watch the game through to the final whistle under temporary extended licensing hours.
These extensions apply to the Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off and final. Standard licensing hours will remain in effect for all other matches.
Matches starting before 5pm or after 10pm do not benefit from the national extension. In these circumstances, individual licensed on trade premises may give a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if they wish to remain open later.