The government has confirmed that pubs can extend their opening hours for England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am on Monday, July 6, but only if they obtain specific permission from their local council.
Special permission required for late kick-off
During the World Cup, pubs received special Home Office permission to extend licensing hours to 1am, or to 2am for late kick-offs. However, regulations currently only allow a 2am closing time for matches kicking off between 9pm and 10pm, meaning the England v Mexico game is not covered under that blanket exemption, the Department for Communities and Local Government confirmed to the Express.
Instead, pubs must contact their local council to obtain written permission via a 'Temporary Event Notice' (TEN) to stay open later, potentially as late as 3.30am if extra time and penalties are required. Secretary of State for Communities Steve Reed has written to councils encouraging them to approve such applications.
Council discretion and application hurdles
Councils retain the final say on each application, and some landlords are already facing difficulties. Jason Cleary, landlord of The Hodcarrier in Leamington Spa, told the BBC that his application to extend hours was 'refused' because he "didn't give five working days' notice" after submitting it on Monday.
Warwick District Council explained that it was legally unable to consider TENs submitted outside the statutory five-working-day notice period. The council noted that it did not refuse the application outright but had no authority to approve it, as it was submitted with only four working days remaining before the event, with the date of submission not counting as a working day.
Impact on fans and pub trade
The 1am kick-off poses challenges for pubs and fans alike, with the match potentially extending into the early hours. The government's guidance aims to balance flexibility with local authority control, but the tight notice period may leave some venues unable to serve late-night supporters.
