Talks are underway between UK government departments about allowing pubs and bars to open earlier than usual for fans watching England play Spain in the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday, which will kick off at 11am UK time, The Athletic can reveal.
The UK has various restrictive licensing laws, such as prohibiting the sale of alcohol before 10am on Sunday, and venues like pubs have specific hours they are allowed to stay open. However such rules can be temporarily relaxed by the Home Secretary for “an occasion of exceptional international, national, or local significance”.
Recent examples of such orders include royal events such as jubilees and weddings and the FIFA World Cup in 2014, which was based in Brazil meaning that many games finished late at night in the UK.
An order means that licensed premises can open outside the hours permitted by their licence for a specific event, without the need to apply for a temporary event licence.
It is not yet confirmed that this will be the case but talks were underway on Wednesday.
The UK government has also said there are “no plans” for a public holiday if England win the World Cup.
“We congratulate the Lionesses on their fantastic achievement in getting to the Women’s World Cup final,” a spokesperson said. “The current…
