A long hot summer of football fever is just what the doctor ordered

With plenty of late-night kick-offs, London’s beleaguered pubs and clubs are hoping to net tens of thousands in extra revenue from the Men’s World Cup , reports Jonathan Prynn

It is 10pm on a hot July night in London and Harry Kane has just scored the winning goal in an enthralling Fifa Men’s World Cup final showdown with old rival Argentina. Finally, finally, a few days before the anniversary of the fabled victory of Bobby Moore and his men in red at Wembley in 1966, the 60 years of hurt are over. London goes mad. The country goes mad. The party lasts for weeks and the feel-good factor carries the economy through the summer and beyond.

The naïve ravings of a Three Lions fan who has waited all his sentient years for the second World Cup trophy? Probably. But whatever the future holds for Thomas Tuchel’s team , London’s punch-drunk hospitality sector is already looking forward to the footie festival kicking off in June, with all the anticipation of John Mills dreaming about that first beer in the old war movie Ice Cold in Alex.

It has been a miserable year or so for much of the restaurant, pub, bar and club trade that is so crucial to London’s economy and the six-week long bonanza will be a massive shot in the arm.

The countdown to the World Cup is on

PA Wire

The tournament format has been changed this year, with a record 48 teams playing 104 games over a week longer than previously. The matches are being hosted in America, Mexico and Canada with kick-off times ranging from 5pm to 5am, although many are bunched between 8pm and midnight.

Two of England’s group stage games start at 9pm and one at 10pm, pretty much perfect timing for a hospitality trade already in a state of eager expectation and seeing bookings flying in.

As Sacha Lord, one of the UK’s leading hospitality entrepreneurs and advisers puts it: “This is great news for hospitality. The timings are good, we imagine people will go out for a bite to eat and then go on to a bar to watch the game. And we know from previous tournaments how spend per head rockets.”

Football fans could give London’s nightlife a shot in the arm this summer

AFP via Getty Images

The Government has done its bit by extending licensing hours to 1am for matches in the knock-out rounds, or 2am for any 10pm kick-offs . Pubs can apply for an even later licence if England have to start a game later than 10pm in the knock-out rounds.

The timings are so late that nightclubs may be better for watching games into the early hours than pubs

It is hard to put precise figures on it, but many of London’s 3,500 surviving pubs will be showing games and can expect to take tens of thousands of pounds in extra revenue during the additional hours of trading. The timings are so late compared with a tournament being held in Europe that the nightclub sector is hoping some of the action will come its way into the early hours of the morning.

Anyone hoping to watch a plum group stage match such as Uruguay vs Spain on June 27, for example, will have to wait until 1am until it even kicks off. Operators say their superior sound systems and existing late night licences could make clubs a better bet for watching games into the early hours than pubs.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “The 2026 World Cup is perfectly timed for the UK’s nightlife sector. With many fixtures kicking off late, our existing licensed hours already support most of the tournament, meaning clubs and live music venues are ready to host large-scale screenings without the need for significant licensing changes.

“These spaces are built for atmosphere, safety, and community. They have the sound systems, screens, staffing, security and late-night expertise to deliver unforgettable match experiences.

Nightclubs may become the venue of choice for late-night games

PA Wire

“For a sector still grappling with financial pressures, the tournament offers a vital commercial opportunity and a chance to bring people together in a way few other settings can achieve. We’re urging Government and local authorities to back operators by ensuring straightforward pathways for any additional licensing needs.”

The gambling sector is also likely to see a huge surge in activity over the period of the tournament. A nationwide survey of 2,000 people who gamble, conducted by Censuswide in February, found that 68 per cent expect to bet more this year due to a busy sporting schedule.

The Fifa Men’s World Cup is the single biggest anticipated driver, cited by 59 per cent of respondents as the event most likely to increase their betting activity.

At the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, hundreds of punters a night are expected to gather in Paddy’s Sportsbook, the first venue of its kind in Europe. There, gamblers will find banks of 56 HDTV screens surrounding a central bar and lounge area with room for up to 120 guests, who are able to bet at five self-service terminals.

All games will be shown live and 100 seats are bookable for each game with no charge for seat reservations except £50 for the final. England games are already filling up fast.

Simon Thomas, executive chairman of the Hippodrome Casino, said: “The World Cup is not just important for the Hippodrome, it is important for the wider West End and London’s 24-hour economy. With some matches likely to kick off late into the night UK time, it highlights exactly why round-the-clock venues matter.

“The Hippodrome is already a 24-hour business and our new sports-dedicated venue Paddy’s Sportsbook was built for moments like this, with 56 screens, a 12-screen jumbotron and a dedicated amphitheatre of sport where people can come together to watch major events in a social, high-quality environment.”

The World Cup usually brings an economic boost to the hospitality industry

Getty Images

If, and it’s a big if, England perform well and progress to the later stages of the competition, what impact might that have for the wider London economy? It is hard to say. Will the lost productivity from “footie sickies” and hangovers offset the extra spending and general sense of wellbeing generated by on-field success?

London has been arguably the worst affected region by the general slowdown in growth over recent months, so business leaders are happy to clutch at any straw.

The World Cup could bring London together and lift confidence

Jo Morris, head of insight at Novuna Business Finance

Jo Morris, head of insight at Novuna Business Finance, said: “Without question, small businesses in London would welcome an economic boost this summer. London plays a pivotal role as the economic growth-driver for small businesses nationally and, while 40 per cent of London enterprises forecast growth during the first quarter of 2026, these small businesses have had to face countless challenges for some time.”

England fans will have July 19 in their diary hoping England make it to the World Cup Final

PA Wire

She added: “The potential for the Fifa World Cup to bring London together and lift confidence could be significant. Confidence is about people feeling positive and a World-Cup confidence-boost for consumers could well give London-based small businesses the lift they need this summer — particularly those in the hospitality sector , where only around one in five small businesses predicted any form of growth during the first quarter of 2026.

“ Football may or may not be coming home by July 19, but if a good England run in the tournament triggers a rise in the propensity for consumers to spend a bit more, it could well be small business growth that’s coming home to London this summer.”

For London, it is not just about England . All 48 countries that qualified, from Algeria to Uzbekistan, and of course, neighbours and rivals Scotland, will all have their own communities, large and small in the capital, with specialist restaurants and bars to serve them.

That means it is going to be a festival and a huge boost to the capital, regardless of whether or not Captain Kane lifts the trophy at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. That said…come on England!