FIFA World Cup Licensing Hours Order 2026
The Government has confirmed temporary extensions to licensing hours for certain FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout-stage matches involving England and/or Scotland, known as the FIFA World Cup Licensing Hours Order 2026 order.
These extensions apply only to premises licensed for the sale or supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises until 11pm or later.
With the tournament approaching its conclusion, the remaining matches covered by the Order are:
- 15 July 2026 - 8pm kick-off
- 18 July 2026 - 10pm kick-off
- 19 July 2026 - 8pm kick-off
Standard licensing extensions
Eligible premises may extend the sale and supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises, opening hours and late night refreshment hours as follows:
| Match | Licensed until at least | Extension permitted until |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July, 8pm kick-off | 11pm | 1am |
| 18 July, 10pm kick-off | 11pm | 2am |
| 19 July, 8pm kick-off | 11pm | 1am |
You must continue to comply with the conditions attached to your premises licence or club premises certificate.
The extensions do not apply to:
- off-sales of alcohol
- regulated entertainment
Delayed matches
If a kick-off is delayed and the match would not conclude within 30 minutes of the standard extension period ending, eligible premises may continue providing the sale of alcohol and late night refreshment until:
- 30 minutes after the match concludes; or
- 12 noon on the following day,
whichever is sooner. This means:
| Match date | Standard extension | Maximum extension if delayed |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July 2026 | 1am | Until 30 minutes after the match concludes, or 12 noon on 16 July 2026, whichever is sooner |
| 18 July 2026 | 2am | Until 30 minutes after the match concludes, or 12 noon on 19 July 2026, whichever is sooner |
| 19 July 2026 | 1am | Until 30 minutes after the match concludes, or 12 noon on 20 July 2026, whichever is sooner |
For the purposes of these extensions, "open" means providing the sale of alcohol and late night refreshment.
Postponed, resumed or replayed matches
If a qualifying match is postponed, resumed or replayed on a different day, licensing extensions will apply on the new match day.
The extension period begins:
- at 10pm where the match is played on a Sunday
- at 11pm where the match is played on any other day
The extension period ends at 1am the following day, or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the match, whichever is later.
To qualify for these extensions:
- Sunday matches require a premises licence permitting alcohol sales until at least 10pm.
- Monday to Saturday matches require a premises licence permitting alcohol sales until at least 11pm.
Temporary Event Notices (TENs)
Important: if your premises is not licensed until 11pm (or the qualifying time required for the relevant extension), you would normally need to submit a Temporary Event Notice (TEN).
Due to the short timescales before the remaining FIFA World Cup matches, there is no longer sufficient time to submit a TEN application. TENs require either 10 working days' notice (standard TEN) or 5 working days' notice (late TEN) before the event.