Late Night Licensing for the World Cup 2026

Late Night Licensing for the World Cup 2026

The 2026 FIFA Men’s Football World Cup is fast approaching, and many hospitality operators will be looking to maximise the commercial opportunity it presents.

 With matches being hosted across the USA, Mexico and Canada, a significant number of games will be broadcast late at night in the UK. What does this mean for pubs, bars and other venues planning to show the tournament?

If you are intending to screen World Cup matches, it is important to act now to ensure you are fully compliant with the licensing requirements.

The Government has confirmed its intention to allow licensed premises in England and Wales to continue to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises for an extended period for Home Nation matches in the latter stages of the tournament. However, the full details of the proposed relaxation are still awaited, and not all premises will automatically be authorised to trade later.

 Importantly, where matches kick off later than the times referenced, those fixtures are currently out of scope of the proposed relaxation. As matters stand, operators wishing to open later for those matches would therefore need to rely on the Temporary Event Notice (TEN)  process.

At Poppleston Allen, we can assist you in securing the appropriate licensing permissions so you can trade later, utilise outdoor areas where permitted, and make the most of the World Cup.

How to ensure you stay compliant?

The first thing to do today is to check your existing premises licence:

• What are the current authorisations and restrictions on your premise licence?
• What is the current time your premises licence allows you to serve alcohol or supply late night refreshment?
• Are regulated entertainment permissions required?
• Does your licensed area include external spaces such as beer gardens or customer areas you intend to use?

Once this has been established, we can help identify the most appropriate solution. Where additional permissions are required, this will often involve the use of Temporary Event Notices (TENs).

Temporary Event Notices (TENs)

A Temporary Event Notice can address many of the issues associated with hosting late-night World Cup matches, including:

• Extending operating hours and licensable activities (sale or supply of alcohol, regulated entertainment and late night refreshment)
• Authorising licensable activities in areas not currently covered under your premises licence and licence plans, such as external customer areas or beer gardens

However, there are important limitations to be aware of which include:

• The duration of the TEN event must not exceed 168 hours (7 days).
• A premises is limited to 15 TENs per calendar year. The maximum aggregate duration authorised by TENs for a premises is 21 days per year.
• There must be 24 hours between each TENs
• A standard TEN must be received by the licensing authority at least 10 working days before the event (10 working days excludes the day the notice is received and first day of the event)
• Where fewer than 10 working days remain, a late TEN may be submitted, but must be received by the licensing authority no later than 5 working days before the event.
• If objections are received to a standard TEN, you are entitled to a hearing before the licensing committee. However, an objection to a late TEN results in the TEN being automatically rejected as there is no right to a hearing.

To help operators plan ahead, we have prepared a free flowchart showing England kick off dates and times, including standard and late TEN dates to help plan ahead. 

TEN Dates for the World Cup 2026

Permanent changes to your premises licence

Permanent variations to a premises licence are also possible. However, these applications can take two months or longer to determine, making early planning essential.