England pubs to stay open until 5am for Mexico match

Pubs and bars in England and Wales were allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday morning for Sunday night’s England v Mexico World Cup last-16 match, after the government reversed an earlier refusal to loosen licensing rules further. Ministers said the move was meant to let supporters gather to watch the game and to help venues lift takings on one of the tournament’s biggest nights.

The decision was announced on 2 July 2026, as the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup unfolded across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July. It marked a broader shift from the government’s earlier consultation, which had proposed temporary relaxations only for the semi-finals and the final if a home nation reached those stages.

The policy change also reflected the commercial pull of England’s run in the competition. BBC Yorkshire had already reported that several pubs had applied to stay open until 5am during the World Cup, a sign that operators were preparing for a late-night surge in trade if England advanced. Government media monitoring said the story had landed positively and included quotes from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Communities Secretary Steve Reed, underscoring how quickly a licensing question became a political one.

The latest move sits inside a longer debate over how far ministers should bend alcohol rules when football dominates the public mood. England and Wales have operated under more flexible licensing rules since the Licensing Act reforms came into force in November 2005, when premises were first allowed to apply for extended hours and government figures said 1,121 premises were granted 24-hour licences. Those changes were introduced alongside a promised crackdown on alcohol-fuelled violence, a reminder that every relaxation of opening hours still has to be weighed against public-order concerns for police, councils and town centres preparing for a crowded night.