Scotland’s hospitality trade awaits decisions on World Cup hours

Last month, Scotland secured qualification to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, but following the draw for the tournament at the weekend there is concern that the business opportunity this presents for the country’s hospitality trade may be at risk. This is owing to the kick-off times confirmed for Scotland’s matches.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Scotland have been drawn in a group with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. The draw confirmed that Scotland will play two of those matches in Boston and one in Miami, both on the east coast of the US, which many commentators view as a positive for fans wishing to travel to the games. However, with the time difference, fans who stay at home face late nights – Scotland’s opening group game with Haiti will start at 2am BST, while the following fixtures with Morocco and Brazil kick-off at 11pm BST.

Paul Togneri of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association said a lifting of licensing restrictions would be necessary to secure the potential economic benefits that pubs in Scotland could derive from the public’s interest in Scotland’s matches.

“This is a once-in-a-generation moment for Scotland fans and should be a major boost for Scotland’s pubs, but with kick-offs at 11pm and 2am, that opportunity is at risk,” Togneri said. “Each match should give an estimated £3m boost to Scotland’s pubs but we need licensing boards to show flexibility and allow pubs to open their doors, that’s why we’re calling for temporary licensing statements for the whole of the tournament.”  

“People will rightly want to come together and celebrate, like they did a few weeks ago when we qualified. Let’s make sure they can do that in a safe, regulated environment, and give our pubs a chance to benefit from this incredible occasion,” he added.

Those calls have been echoed by others within the hospitality industry. Colin Wilkinson, managing director of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, urged local authorities and licensing boards across Scotland to “put special measures in place to enable the nation to share in our national football team’s success in reaching their first World Cup for 28 years”.

Wilkinson said: “Amid the current doom and gloom weighing down the whole of the UK, Scotland’s victory has given us all something to smile about and for our pubs and bars struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis and cost of doing business, to be able to open for a few extra hours during the World Cup will bring a massive boost to many businesses, particularly the small, independent operators.”

Scotland is not the only UK nation to have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England’s first two group games, against Croatia and Ghana, will kick-off at 9pm BST. Their remaining fixture against Panama will start at 10pm BST. Wales and Northern Ireland could still qualify through play-offs, which take place in March next year. Should either qualify, their matches will kick-off at 8pm BST.

Licensing expert Rachel McCourt of Pinsent Masons said the licensing regime works differently across the UK. While the UK government has opened a consultation on extending pub opening hours in England and Wales during the World Cup next summer, in Scotland the decision-making powers on licensing extensions rest with individual local authorities.

McCourt said: “It is possible that Scotland’s licensing authorities will take an approach similar to that in respect of the festive period, when some operating hours restrictions are often relaxed, by making a decision months in advance regarding the hours licensed premises operators will be able to open during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, if no blanket extension is applied by Scotland’s licensing authorities, each venue owner wishing to extend their hours would have to file an application for an extension to their local licensing board.”

Brian Grierson, litigation and regulatory expert at Pinsent Masons, added: “Scotland’s qualification for the World Cup gives local authorities an opportunity to support the national nighttime economy at a time when the sector is facing acute challenges from rising costs and a growing regulatory burden. The sooner decisions are made and communicated to licensed operators the better, as this will enable them to plan appropriately for an exciting summer ahead.”

Public policy expert Scott Wright of Pinsent Masons added: “Late night opening is unlikely to be viable for every pub, but the whole hospitality industry in Scotland would benefit from clarity being given ahead of time, to maximise the economic opportunity, and from a consistent approach to the granting of licenses being adopted across Scotland’s 32 local authorities.”