After seismic celebrations at Hampden the impact of the World Cup should be equally seismic for Scotland’s hospitality trade next summer!
During a night now etched into Scottish footballing folklore, the British Geological Survey reported that the Hampden celebrations were so powerful they literally shook the earth and triggered earthquake monitors!
As the dust settles on Hampden, attention now turns to the World Cup draw on 5th December. With fans desperate to secure travel and accommodation, hospitality venues are equally keen to plan their World Cup activations. For both it is as much about where Scotland are playing as it is who Scotland are playing.
Fans gathering in pubs and restaurants across the country to cheer on the National Team during a World Cup has been long overdue. However, the fact that the 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico means none of this is easy to plan for given the different time zone variables.
For venues back home they are working on the assumption that World Cup kick-off times will largely mirror those at the recent Club World Cup, when the earliest games started at 5pm with further matches at 8pm, 11pm and 2am UK time.
The later matches will, in many cases end (if not start), beyond the normal licensed hours of most venues. Accordingly, the question for licensing boards across the country is – will there be boogie woogie all night long in premises up and down the country?
Before looking at the issue of licensed hours, licence holders are advised to urgently check three other matters to ensure they are ready for kick off on 11th June 2026.
1. Permission to screen TV Sport
The beauty of the World Cup is that it is screened on terrestrial television. This makes it available to all premises (subject to having a valid TV Licence). As we saw with the Euros, premises who do not normally show sport as part of their day-to-day business often wish to support the Tartan Army and respond to customer demand.
The permission to show sport, regardless of whether it is on a paid subscription channel or terrestrial TV, must be covered within the operating plan which forms part of every premises licence.
Operators should check now that TV Sport is a permitted activity within the matrix of activities at Q5 of their operating plan. If it is not a permitted activity then a non-minor variation is required to allow this. Whilst it may not be controversial to add the activity please be aware that the process will take several months. It is not something that can be dealt with overnight. Failure to secure the licensing permission to show TV Sport would prohibit the screening of matches.
2. Beer garden restrictions
Post Covid the importance of external seating areas has seen operators respond to customer demand by investing to create fabulous al fresco areas. Unfortunately, many licensing board policies continue to heavily restrict their use with blanket bans on screens and/or speakers for music and commentary outside.
Operators planning to invest in outside TVs and/or new speakers to showcase the summer of sport are advised to check their licence for any conditions or restrictions which prohibit such innovation.
As with the general permission to screen TV Sport within the venue, any conditions or restrictions on the use of external areas need to be tackled by way of a non-minor variation. This again will take several months to determine and may be more controversial, with no guarantee of success, so action now is vital.
3. Seasonal variations
As discussed below there is a potential that some licensing boards may grant general extensions to licensed hours covering premises within their jurisdiction. These general extensions will only benefit premises who have opted in and said YES to seasonal variations at Q4 in the operating plan.
Don’t get left behind, check now and if the operating plan says NO at Q4 a non-minor variation should be lodged now to once again factor in several months for determination.
General Extensions
There have already been calls from trade bodies for licensing boards to grant general extensions to licensed hours. These extensions are when a licensing board grants a blanket extension to the terminal hour for on-sales premises under their Policy. These general extensions could be used to allow premises to open to show Scotland matches and other key World Cup games.
Many licensing boards remain undecided. For example, at its meeting on 24th November, the Edinburgh Licensing Board Convenor indicated Board members should meet to discuss how they intend to proceed.
Whether it is via the Licensing Forum or directly contacting the licensing board via the Clerk’s office, operators should add their voices to that of the trade bodies if they wish to see a relaxation by way of general extension.
Even if licensing boards don’t opt to grant a general extension it will still be open to premises to apply for extended hours on a case-by-case basis. The legal test for the granting of extended hours is that it is for an “event of national significance”… surely making that case is “shooty in”!
Finally, whether it be through general or one-off extensions there are likely to be additional conditions operators need to plan for. These may include the requirement to employ SIA stewards after a certain time, rules around use of plastic and toughened glass receptacles and having personal licence holders and first aiders on the premises.
The message is to get your licensing arrangements in order now. You want to ensure that when you hear the noise of the Tartan Army boys, they’re coming down the road to watch the match in your venue!
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