The Government finally published The Licensing Act 2003 (FIFA World Cup Licensing Hours) Order 2026

The Government has finally laid The Licensing Act 2003 (FIFA World Cup Licensing Hours) Order 2026 before Parliament on 12^th May 2026 and it comes into force on 8^th June 2026. 

The Order applies to all premises, with either a premises licence or a club premises certificate issued in England and Wales which permits the sale of alcohol until at least 23:00 on the date of the match, where that alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises. The Order does not apply to off-licences nor to premises only licensed for late night refreshment. The Order extends the hours during which these premises can sell alcohol on specific dates and between specific times which coincide with when either England or Scotland may be playing in the knock-out stages of FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Order only extends to premises in England and Wales, and only when England or Scotland are playing in one of the games listed in the Order.  Without going into the minutiae of each and every date and time that is specified, the Order extends the period when alcohol can be sold for two hours from 23:00, so until 01:00 the following morning, for any knock-out game involving England or Scotland which kicks off on or before 21:00, and for three hours from 23:00, so until 02:00 the following morning, for any knock-out game involving England or Scotland which kicks off after 21:00 but on or before 22:00.

The Order is very much as the Home Office had suggested it would be, but what it does mean is that any knock-out game kicking off after 22:00 is not covered by the Order and in order to extend any hours on a Premises Licence a Temporary Event Notice would be need to be issued. The Order does not extend the hours for entertainment. The hours for late night refreshment are also extended if the premises are also licensed for the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises to 23:00.

Premises need to be very careful should one of the home nations reach the final because the Order only extends the hours for premises which are licensed to sell alcohol until 23:00 on Sunday 19^th July 2026.  There will be many pubs which are only licensed to 22:30 on a Sunday and, therefore, the Order will remarkably not extend the hours for those pubs for the final if the pub is only licensed until 22:30, and the only way to extend the hours for those pubs on the day of the final therefore would be by way of a Temporary Event Notice.