Pubs across England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday for England’s World Cup round‑of‑16 match against Mexico – but many will remain closed, with Wetherspoon saying only five of its 800 pubs will open.
The U‑turn came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer initially said the government would not relax licensing laws further for the tournament. Earlier on Thursday, business minister Kate Dearden told the House of Commons the rules would “unfortunately” not cover the 1am kick‑off. But following a fierce backlash, including from London mayor Sadiq Khan, Starmer reversed the decision within hours.
“Pubs can open until 5am for England's 1am World Cup clash, but Wetherspoon says only five will.”
“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” Starmer said. “Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.”
The match, which kicks off at 1am UK time in Mexico City and is not expected to finish until at least 3am, was made possible by England’s 2‑1 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday night, with Harry Kane scoring the winner after a 1‑0 half‑time deficit.
The home secretary will use legislative power to extend licensing hours on occasions of “exceptional international, national or local significance”. Communities Secretary Steve Reed has written to council leaders informing them of the change. The government had already extended hours – pubs could stay open until 1am for matches kicking off between 5pm and 9pm, and until 2am for later kick‑offs – but the blanket extension for Monday removes the need for individual pubs to apply.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “Pubs and fans will be over the moon about this decision, because 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 a “pragmatic approach” that “allows venues to focus on what matters most – bringing communities together to support the national team.”
Yet many publicans are choosing not to open. A spokesperson for Wetherspoon said only five of its 800 pubs would open for the match. Tommy Higgs, co‑owner of The Three Horseshoes in Witney, Oxfordshire, said: “We’re in a built‑up community around here, and I think it’s just a little bit disrespectful for our locals to have that sort of noise at 5am.” He added that staff would not want to work until 5am. Greene King said more than 600 of its 2,600 venues would stay open, including in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Carlisle, Liverpool and Folkestone.
With most pubs calling time at the usual hour, England fans face a choice: find one of the few venues open, or watch from home.