Sheffield pubs can stay open later for World Cup knockout matches

Sheffield pubs were cleared to keep serving later for World Cup knockout matches, turning a licensing tweak into a test of how football, pub takings and local enforcement now overlap. The change matters most when kick-offs slip late: some venues can stay open until 2am, letting fans watch the full match rather than heading home before penalties.

The Licensing Act 2003 (FIFA World Cup Licensing Hours) Order 2026, made on 12 May and in force from 8 June, applies to specified knockout matches in the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup involving England or Scotland. Sheffield City Council said the automatic extension covers licensed premises and clubs in England and Wales that are usually open until 11pm, but not off-licences or venues licensed only for late-night refreshment or regulated entertainment.

Under the city’s guidance, pubs can serve alcohol until 1am for home-nation knockout matches kicking off between 5pm and 9pm, and until 2am for kick-offs after 9pm and up to 10pm. Matches starting before 5pm or after 10pm are outside the automatic extension and may still need a Temporary Event Notice, keeping the burden on smaller operators that do not fall neatly within the national order. Existing licence conditions still apply.

The government has urged councils to move quickly on sensible applications for later openings, special screenings and beer-garden events, with Communities Secretary Steve Reed saying authorities that unnecessarily block people from getting together or holding things up will be held to account. He also said fans should not be forced indoors halfway through penalties, a line that captures the public-order trade-off as well as the commercial upside for pubs and bars.

The issue was underscored by Bedford Borough Council, which said England’s quarter-final against Norway was scheduled to kick off at 10pm on Saturday 11 July and that eligible venues could serve alcohol until 2am on Sunday 12 July without needing a TEN. In Sheffield, Fan City said its Devonshire Green fan zone was being prepared for the England vs Norway clash, with the site pay-to-enter for England games and free for other World Cup matches. A spokesman said England knockout games are “always special”, a sign that later licensing hours are becoming part of the football economy as much as the tournament itself.