The change comes after the Government initially said licensing laws would not be relaxed further for the tournament.
Earlier today (Thursday 2 July), business minister Kate Dearden said the Government would not relax the rules further to cover England v Mexico, which kicks off at 1am UK time.
Responding to Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson who asked in parliament this morning if the Government was willing to extend pub trading hours, Dearden said: “Pubs can stay open for an extra two or three hours depending on when the match starts.
“Unfortunately that doesn’t apply with the 1am start but we are absolutely backing our pubs going forward so we can support our lads.”
Social statement
However, a later post on social media, outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We’re making sure pubs can stay open early on Monday morning for the England game.
“I know lots of people are making their plans. If you’re planning to watch it in the pub, that is great and it’s really good for pubs as well.
“Come on England.”
The British Beer & Pub Association boss Emma McClarkin welcomed the change, according to the BBC, she said: “We all know the best place to watch the match is down the local.”
Previous rules
This means removes the need for individual venues in England and wales to apply for extended hours.
The Government had already loosened licensing rules for the competition, to reflect the time difference between hosts the US, Mexico and Canada.
This meant for matches starting between 5pm and 9pm, pubs could remain open until 1am and for the games kicking off after 9pm, they could stay serving until 2am.
However, operators wishing to stay open longer than these times, they had to apply for a temporary event notice (TENs) at least five days in advance.
Meanwhile, recent research from Square found pubs and bars saw revenue increase by 90% during World Cup match periods.
