World Cup guidance 2026

• Consideration should be given to contacting the police and/or your local authority Licensing Officer to let them know in advance of your plans for showing FIFA World Cup 2026 matches where there could be implications for either (or both) of these bodies, so that they can incorporate these plans into any actions they may be taking
• Check the hours and conditions on the Premises Licence to make sure that you are complying with all requirements, and if a Temporary Event Notice is needed. It would be helpful to the local authority and police to submit your TEN as early as possible. If you are running promotions, check they comply with the Mandatory Conditions regarding this area
• If there is trouble at your premises, call the police immediately and cease serving alcohol
• In the event of trouble outside the premises, keep customers inside
• Pass on any concerns or reports of disorder to local police (and other premises if you are in a local Pubwatch scheme)
• Make sure that the DPS is on duty if possible. If not, a duty manager with a personal licence should be available to oversee the event
• Make sure that the DPS/duty manager holds the keys for the front doors and can secure them at any stage
• Ensure sufficient staff numbers are in place to cope with the anticipated number of customers, and that all staff, both permanent and temporary, have had all relevant training
• Make sure that the event is discussed with all staff and that any local police concerns are addressed and staff are aware
• Make sure that there is no excessive consumption of alcohol - remember it is an offence to serve somebody who is drunk or to buy a drink for somebody who is already drunk. Posters reminding customers of the law are available to download free of charge from the BBPA's website
• Whilst fixtures involving England or Scotland are likely to attract larger numbers of customers to watch the game in your pub, also be aware of games where the national team playing may also attract a large following from the local community and plan accordingly
• Consider the use of tickets to control admission and prevent overcrowding, if this is likely to be an issue in your pub
• Ensure there is sufficient room available for the expected level of customers, and that there are contingency plans in place if this is exceeded e.g. refusing entry if capacity is reached
• If you feel admission and control could be an issue, consider the use of Door Supervisors (remembering that they must be SIA registered) to help control the number of people watching matches/events. The SIA’s approved contractor scheme register can be found here Register of Approved Contractors (sia.homeoffice.gov.uk)
• Review access to your premises and consider restricting the number of entrances (should fire regulations permit)
• Check that all fire exits are completely clear and unobstructed and your fire risk assessment is reviewed accordingly
• Consider the use of plastic glassware such as polycarbonate if necessary, particularly for outside areas and to avoid unnecessary waiting for service and/or to lessen the risk of injury
• When serving glass bottles, consider the use of PET bottles or decanting into plastic glassware if appropriate
• If you do use glass, ensure that empties are collected regularly and any broken glass is quickly cleared away
• Be aware that under-18s may be attracted to watching events and matches in your venue; continue to be vigilant about preventing the sale of alcohol to them
• Be aware of the need to prevent the use of illegal drugs. The BBPA has produced a guide “Drugs and pubs: a guide to keeping a drug-free pub” which is free to download from the BBPA website
• Think carefully about where TV screens are situated so as to avoid potential congestion. For similar reasons it is advisable, as far as possible, to prevent screens being viewed from outside the premises by non-customers
• If you have CCTV, ensure that it is fully operational with all cameras recording. Check that cameras are not obscured by flags or other promotional material that you have used for the duration of the tournament. It would be advisable as good practice that a staff member able to operate the CCTV system is available
• Be sure to monitor and control smoking areas where appropriate, especially at half-time and at the end of the match
• Check that your premises remains accessible to all – please see the BBPA’s "An Open Welcome" guidance on its website for further information
• Check whether there is a public outdoor large screen event in the immediate area.  Some unfortunate incidents have occurred in the past when people have spilled out of these events and into local pubs. Consider refusing entry if this is likely to happen
• Contact your local authority Licensing Officer for any information on local requirements, and ensure noise is kept to a reasonable level for local residents, particularly if screening any matches outdoors
• Consider making taxi numbers/late night public transport/train information readily available to assist customers in leaving the venue safely after evening games
• Consider promoting and implementing the Ask for Angela scheme, with clear signage, and refresher training where it is already established so that all staff, including temporary and event staff, are confident in identifying vulnerability and responding appropriately to support individuals during busy match days and late-night trading. Free resources for venues can be found here: Ask For Angela
• Ensure any counter-terrorism measures are reviewed and that staff have been made aware of the signs to look out for. Further information on counter-terrorism measures can be found at the end of this guide. 

You might choose to screen matches in outside spaces. If so, there are additional points to consider as part of your risk assessment:

• Check that there are no conditions on your premises licence that would restrict the use of outdoor areas
• Review the positioning of any outdoor screens if possible to ensure they cannot be viewed by noncustomers beyond the premises boundary
• Consider the impact of increased noise levels outside with regards to local residents. This is especially important for matches that have late kick-offs
• Consider the increased use of staff in outdoor areas during the screenings and afterwards
• Ensure that any temporary outdoor structures for either screening the match or sheltering customers have been properly constructed and that they remain safe and secure, especially in bad weather

The tournament takes place across multiple North American cities across four different time zones, meaning that there is a range of kick-off times. Due to the time difference, this means some matches will start in the evening, while others may start late at night or in the early hours of the morning. All of the kick-off times in this guidance are British Summer Time (BST). 

The first match of the day will typically kick-off at 5:00pm, with the final match of the day sometimes not starting until 5:00am.  All matches will be shown on either the BBC or ITV in the UK.  

With the lateness of some kick-offs in mind, the Government has confirmed that licensed venues will be able to remain open for longer on the days of certain matches. This extension only applies for premises in England and Wales.  

When a home nation (England or Scotland) is playing, there will be a national extension to licensing hours:

• from 11:00pm to 1:00am for kick-offs from 5:00pm up to 9:00pm
• from 11:00pm to 2:00am for kick-offs after 9:00pm up to 10:00pm 

But only for the following matches:

• round of 32
• round of 16
• quarter-finals
• semi-finals
• bronze medal match
• final 

The initial group matches are not included. If no home nation is playing in any matches that otherwise qualify for the extension, the relaxation will not apply.

Matches starting before 5:00pm or after 10:00pm will not benefit from the licence extension. For any matches that are not covered by the extension, an individual at licensed on-trade venues can give a Temporary Event Notice so that they can stay open longer.

This national extension will allow licensed premises in England and Wales that are already licensed to 11:00pm, and subject to their existing licence conditions, to remain open for the sale and supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises and provision of late-night refreshment. Any venue that is not normally licensed to 11:00pm on the day of the match will not benefit from the extension and would need to apply for a TEN if it wished to extend its licensed hours on that day. 

In addition to the national extended hours noted above, you may wish to apply for a TEN to extend your licensing hours for other matches. Some of these matches may have very late kick-offs, such as 2.00am or later. Wherever you have extended hours such that your customers leave your premises in the early hours of the morning, remember to consider the following:

• Using signage or other reminders for customers to leave your premises quietly, in consideration of local residents
• Providing information on transport options for customers such as local taxi companies, bus times, train times etc
• Early engagement with your local police if you intend to apply for a TEN for a late kick-off match;

The BBPA strongly advises licensees to carry out a risk assessment and record any decisions made such a record will be useful if, despite your best efforts, some individuals are determined to cause trouble in your premises. The BBPA has produced a guide, “Managing Safety in Pubs” which may be of help when developing risk assessments. This is free to download from the BBPA website.  

Whilst no specific threat has been identified it is important that premises consider the risk from those intent on causing wide-scale harm and panic and should therefore remain vigilant for anything that seems out of place or unusual.

Licensed premises remain attractive to terrorists seeking to attack publicly accessible locations where large numbers of people gather. A risk assessment should be carried out that takes into account the premises’ preparedness and resilience, the security culture of all staff.

• Threat Level: UK Terrorist Threat Levels are published online. Knowing where to find the threat levels and understanding them is important when security planning. Understanding the threat can help inform your risk assessment and ensure appropriate and proportionate security arrangements are in place, and help prioritise actions as threat levels provide an indication of attack likelihood. Further information about threat levels is available on MI5's website. 
• Suspicious Activity: Terrorists like all criminals will reconnoitre their targets. Staff must be vigilant and confident they can report suspicious behaviour without delay. If you suspect there is immediate danger, call 999. If there is no immediate threat but something doesn't feel right, trust your instincts and report it to Counter Terrorism Policing via the National Anti-Terrorist Hotline – 0800 789 321. If you see something that doesn’t feel right, the Police want to hear from you.  
• Guidance Documentation and Support: A range of counter-terrorism guidance and other resources is available on the ProtectUK website, which includes posters and outer resources for its Summer 2024 vigilance campaign, available here. It is highly recommended that management and staff undertake the free online Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) E-learning Counter-Terrorism Awareness product which is available for free on the ProtectUK website here.

Please contact your Force Counter Terrorism Security Advisors for further advice and assistance.