Licensing Extension Confirmed for England And Scotland World Cup Knockout Matches
The government has confirmed an extension to licensing hours in England and Wales covering additional knockout stage matches involving England and Scotland at this summer’s FIFA World Cup, being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Home Office had previously announced relaxed trading hours for licensed premises to accommodate matches broadcast at varying times due to the significant time difference between the UK and the three host nations — all of which are at least five hours behind British Summer Time. However, the latest update closes a gap in those earlier provisions by including matches with earlier evening kick-offs, which had not been fully addressed.
Under the confirmed arrangements, pubs and bars in England and Wales may trade until 01:00 BST for matches involving either England or Scotland that kick off between 17:00 and 21:00, and until 02:00 BST for those commencing between 21:00 and 22:00.
The practical impact centres on three specific potential fixtures in the last-16 stage:
• Scotland v opponents — 18:00 BST, Houston, Monday 29 June (if Scotland top their group)
• England v opponents — 17:00 BST, Atlanta, Wednesday 1 July (if England top their group)
• Scotland v opponents — 18:00 BST, Houston, Saturday 4 July (if Scotland finish second and progress from the last 32)
Licensing is a devolved matter in Scotland, where local authorities are handling extensions independently. A particular logistical challenge there is Scotland’s opening group match, which carries a 02:00 BST kick-off — among the latest start times of the tournament.
Neither Wales nor Northern Ireland qualified for the tournament following defeats in the play-off semi-finals, though operators across all four home nations have historically benefited commercially from extended international tournaments, with summer football consistently drawing strong trade.
The new measures were welcomed by senior industry figures. Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night-Time Industries Association, described the development as a welcome boost for the sector. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said it would give communities the opportunity to come together and enjoy a summer of international sport.
The original tranche of licensing relaxations followed a public consultation launched in December. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the legal basis for the extensions, noting that the relevant legislation grants the Home Secretary powers to extend trading hours on occasions deemed to be of exceptional national or international significance.
The World Cup opens in June, with matches distributed across time zones spanning the eastern seaboard to the Pacific coast of the three host nations.