Pubs in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 05:00 on Monday after the government performed a late U-turn on licensing laws, clearing the way for fans to watch England's World Cup round-of-16 match against Mexico. The game kicks off at 01:00 UK time in Mexico City and is not expected to finish until at least 03:00.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the move on Thursday afternoon, having previously said the government would not relax licensing laws further. “Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” he said.
“Government U-turn allows pubs to open until 5am Monday for England's World Cup match against Mexico.”
The decision came after a barrage of calls to extend hours, including from Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson, who had earlier pressed business minister Kate Dearden in the House of Commons. Dearden said no further extension would be granted, warning pubs would “miss out on a real opportunity to get money in the till”.
But within hours, the government reversed course. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed told broadcasters emergency legislation would be passed through parliament on Friday. “This is one of the fastest changes in the law that we’ve seen,” he said, adding that the previous relaxing of licensing measures “hadn’t covered the eventuality of England playing so late in the night”.
The hospitality industry welcomed the move. 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 said more than 600 of its venues across England, including in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Carlisle, Liverpool and Folkestone, would stay open for the game.
Licensing hours had already been extended for the World Cup – from 23:00 to 01:00 for games with kick-offs between 17:00 and 21:00, and until 02:00 for kick-offs between 21:00 and 22:00 – following a six-week public consultation that opened in December. Normally, individual pubs must apply to their local council at least five working days in advance for extended hours, but the emergency legislation bypasses that process.
The government’s about-turn means fans can watch the entire match in the pub, rather than being sent home before the final whistle.