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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on July 2 that pubs across England and Wales can stay open until 5 a.m. BST on Monday, July 3, so fans can watch England take on Mexico in the World Cup round of 16. The match kicks off at 1 a.m. BST.
The decision reversed earlier indications that there would be no blanket extension for late-night matches. Previous measures introduced in June only permitted extensions to 1 a.m. for home-nation knockout matches starting between 5 and 9 p.m., and to 2 a.m. for those kicking off between 9 and 10 p.m. A 1 a.m. start time didn’t fit neatly into either box, so the government had to improvise.
The policy itself applies specifically to pubs in England and Wales. Individual establishments still need to navigate local licensing processes, and local councils have been encouraged to approve Temporary Event Notices for extended flexibility. Some pubs, like those in York, had already sought permissions to extend hours to 5 a.m. during the tournament, anticipating that the government would eventually come around.
Historically, the UK government has relaxed licensing regulations for major events. The reversal from Starmer’s government is notable because it happened relatively quickly. The earlier June measures seemed deliberately conservative, covering only the more viewer-friendly time slots. Extending to 5 a.m. for a 1 a.m. kickoff suggests either genuine public pressure or a political calculation that being the prime minister who shut the pubs during a World Cup knockout match is not a great look.
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