World Cup 2026 licensing hours

FIFA World Cup 2026 - permitted extensions to licensing hours

The Licensing Hours Extension Act 2026 allows for venues that hold a premises Licence that permits on-sales of alcohol to extend such sales without needing to apply for a temporary event notice when the following scenarios occur relating only to matches involving the home nations:

• Knockout rounds: extended until 1:00am for matches with a 5:00pm BST or 6:00pm BST kick-off.
• Late quarter final matches: extended until 02:00am the following morning if the match kicks off at 10:00pm BST.
• Quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final: Extended until 01:00am the following morning if the match kicks off at or before 9:00pm BST.

Please note:

• The extensions apply only to the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises. It does not apply to establishments that only have off-sales of alcohol permitted on a Premises Licence, or establishments that do not have on sales of alcohol on their Premises Licence.
• The extensions only apply to matches involving the home nations.
• Matches that start later than 10:00pm BST do not fall within the scope of these extensions.
• For matches or for premises that fall outside of the scope of the above, then a temporary event notice will be needed for any extension of existing permitted hours should the need arise.