Starmer to allow all pubs to stay open until 5am for England’s World Cup match with Mexico
The move overrides local decisions after councils approved dozens of temporary notices and comes as the match starts at 1 a.m., officials said.
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that pubs across England and Wales will stay open until 5 AM on Monday, July 6, for the England-Mexico World Cup Round of 16 match kicking off at 1 AM.
- The 1 AM kick-off falls outside existing 2 AM licensing extensions for England matches. Pressure from the Liberal Democrats and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed prompted the government to override local council discretion and issue a blanket extension.
- Dudley Council approved 40 temporary event notices for Monday's match, while Southampton City Council approved 18. However, officials warned that insufficient time remains for new applications, as legislation does not allow processing after Thursday.
- Night Time Industries Association CEO Michael Kill called the extension "fantastic news," saying it allows venues to bring communities together and deliver a significant boost to hospitality businesses during the tournament.
- England faces Mexico in the Round of 16 following a 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday, July 1. Starmer stated the government is ensuring fans "don't have to" miss the match.
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The government announced an extension to the licensing hours for the match, which will kick off at 1am Sunday morning, eliminating the formalities that would have required venues to apply for a licence to serve alcohol outside of normal opening hours. "Football is coming home, but we're making sure fans don't have to (...) The whole country will be behind the team. Go England!" Starmer said in a statement. England progressed to the round of 16 o…
Pubs allowed to stay open until 05:00 for England-Mexico World Cup match
Pubs across England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 05:00 on Monday to allow football fans to watch England’s FIFA World Cup 2026 clash with Mexico. “In a boost for pubs, bars and football fans… alcohol licensing hours will be extended for Sunday night’s match which kicks off at 01:00,” the UK prime minister’s office said on Thursday. Check the latest World Cup odds with Sportingbet ‘Coming home’ After England made it into the la…
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