Pubs across England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday after the government performed a dramatic U-turn on licensing hours for the Three Lions’ World Cup round-of-16 match against Mexico. The game, which kicks off at 1am UK time in Mexico City and is not expected to finish before 3am, had initially been excluded from extended opening hours.
Earlier on Thursday, business minister Kate Dearden told the House of Commons that the government would not relax licensing laws further for the fixture, despite a plea from Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson, who warned that pubs would “miss out on a real opportunity to get money in the till”. But by the afternoon, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a reversal, saying: “Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to.”
“Pubs can stay open until 5am Monday after government U-turn for England's 1am World Cup match against Mexico.”
The change came after a six-week public consultation on earlier extensions had already pushed closing time from 23:00 to 01:00 for matches kicking off from 17:00 to 21:00, and to 02:00 for those starting between 21:00 and 22:00. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed said the government was passing emergency legislation through parliament on Friday “so every England fan that wants to go to the pub and cheer their team on gets the chance to go.” He described the move as “one of the fastest changes in the law that we’ve seen”, admitting the earlier relaxation “hadn’t covered the eventuality of England playing so late in the night”.
Industry leaders welcomed the decision. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We all know the best place to watch the match is down the local.” Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, called it “fantastic news” that would be “hugely welcomed by operators”. Greene King announced that more than 600 of its venues would open for the game, including sites in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Carlisle, Liverpool and Folkestone. The late-night extension is expected to spark a surge in drinking, with Brits poised to buy one million extra pints during the showdown, according to industry estimates.