Homes Secretary James Cleverly has hinted at an extension of pub licensing hours if England or Scotland reach the semi-finals of EURO 2024, stating it is “definitely something he will look into.”
Venues will be able to stay open an extra 2 hours in the evening, shutting at 1am rather than 11pm on match-days, but only if either or both teams are able to progress to the final four.
This only includes venues in England and Wales, with Scotland and Ireland overseeing their own licensing laws.
The semi-finals for the 2024 European Football Championships are set to take place in Germany on July 9 and 10, with the final on Sunday, July 14. All kick-offs are at 8pm – the ideal time for a pint down the pub.
Mr Cleverly said: “This boost to the hospitality sector will allow friends, families and communities to come together for longer to watch their home nation hopefully bring it home.”
This will provide the hospitality industry a helping hand, as many sectors are still recovering from the impact of COVID-19. During the 2022 World Cup, the fixture between England and Wales saw spending in British bars, clubs and pubs increase by 20.5%.
Emma McClarkin, the chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said optimistically: “The beer and pub sector is set for a bumper summer of sport, so let’s hope that England and Scotland make it not just through to the semi-finals but meet in the final itself, with pub goers able to cheer the teams on with a beer later into the night thanks to these new measures.”
Scotland and England are the only home nations to qualify for the event after Wales narrowly missed out in a penalty shootout against Poland.
England fell short of European glory in the COVID-delayed Euro 2020 after losing to Italy in the final.
If the team manages to go one better this summer, it will be the first major trophy won by the men's team since the World Cup in 1966.
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