Hospitality Industry to Score £898 Million From This Summer’s World Cup

UK football fans are forecast to spend £898 million in hospitality venues throughout the 2026 World Cup this summer. – almost double the forecast for the 2022 World Cup (£442m) and 46% more than the 2024 Euros (£614m)

VoucherCodes.co.uk’s 2026 World Cup Spending Report reveals hospitality spending is set to exceed both the 2022 World Cup (£442m) and 2024 Euros (£614m), by 103% and 46% respectively.

As always, alcohol and other drinks will be popular amongst World Cup fans, generating £536 million for the hospitality industry, with a further £361 million predicted to be spent on food.

Whilst late kick-off times are expected to deter some consumers from visiting hospitality venues, 12m consumers are set to step foot in pubs, bars or restaurants, over the course of the tournament as football fans make the most of extended opening hours.

As a result, hospitality visitor numbers will only be marginally lower than during the 2022 Euros (12.9m), and will be 79% higher than during the 2022 World Cup (6.7m). Those that do watch a game from their local venues, will be spending with intent driving up the average spend per customer.

Breaking down hospitality venues further, it’s no surprise that pubs are the most popular venue for football fans this World Cup, with over three-quarters of those visiting a hospitality venue heading straight for their local pub (82%) – that’s equivalent to 4.4 million people.

Moji Oshisanya adds: “With the excitement of the World Cup drawing closer, pubs and other hospitality venues will be stocking up for the biggest sporting event of the summer, taking advantage of the longer tournament and evening kick-off times to cash in on food and drink sales across the country.”

“With the addition of the later licensing laws enabling venues to keep their doors open long into the night, the World Cup provides the hospitality industry with an opportunity to boost summer sales, capturing customers whilst they’re eager and willing to spend. Venues who keep ‘value’ front-of-mind will win out, appealing to a budget-conscious consumer.”