Pubs grappling with rising costs will be able to stay open longer during this year’s World Cup as part of the Government’s efforts to offset pressure on the sector. The Treasury announced the special dispensation on Tuesday, alongside planned measures to allow boozers to open late for other big events such as Eurovision. The World Cup extension will enable pubs in England and Wales to stay open late without applying for a Temporary Event Notice for home nation games until 1am for quarter-finals, semi-finals and matches starting at or before 9pm.
Landlords will also be able to stay open until 2am for any quarter-finals that start at 10pm. The World Cup will kick off on June 11, and the first three of England’s matches in the group stage will begin at 9pm and 10pm. England and Scotland have also already qualified for dates in North America, however, meaning fixtures in the round of 32 won’t be available to watch in the UK until midnight or 2am.
Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could also qualify for the tournament if they win their play-off fixtures.
Speaking during a statement in the House of Commons to announce the support package for business rates for pubs, Treasury Secretary Dan Tomlinson said: “I can also announce today that pubs and other licensed venues will be able to open until 1am or 2am depending on when the game starts for home nation games in the later stages of the men’s football World Cup this summer.
“And we will legislate to increase the number of temporary events notices for pubs and other hospitality venues, whether that is to help them screen World Cup games or other community and cultural events.”
However, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, Sarah Olney, said people who were not football fans should also be catered to.
Ms Olney said: “We have a diverse and varied hospitality sector in my constituency of Richmond Park, and it supports lots of different communities, including those who don’t go to pubs – parents of young children, people who don’t drink, faith groups, dare I say it, people who don’t want to watch the football.
“And so they have different needs, they want to go to cafes, they want to go soft play centres. So why is the Government focusing this relief just on pubs?”
Mr Tomlinson replied: “(Ms Olney) may not wish to watch the football, that’s fine, that’s her decision.
“We’re also consulting, she’d be interested to know, on whether we can extend these longer licensing powers to other events. So she’ll have to let me know if there are other events that she would like to go and watch in a pub, and they can be part of the consultation.”