Venues can extend their opening hours for the EURO 2024 semi finals

With support from Hackney Council, venues will be able to stay open for an extra two hours on Wednesday 10 July to allow local football fans to come together for longer to watch England play in the EURO 2024 semi final. 

The extension will automatically apply to premises which are licensed to sell alcohol until at least 11pm, allowing them to stay open until 1am the following morning. 

The change only applies to England matches, meaning venues can stay open later on Wednesday the 10 July and Sunday 14 July 2024, should England reach the final. 

The decision comes from the Home Office, who can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”. The Government has previously pushed back pub closing times for royal weddings, the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, the Fifa World Cup in 2014 and the last EURO 2022 final. 

It’s hoped that the extended hours will give pub-goers longer to celebrate the matches, and provide a boost to the hospitality industry after a difficult few years during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Hackney Council will continue to support residents and licensed premises throughout this period. The Council’s Hackney Nights and Licensing and Environmental Protection teams will work directly with venues to ensure they are compliant with the conditions of this extension. 

If residents have any concerns about the licensing extension, please reach out to the Hackney Nights team by emailing hackneynights@hackney.gov.uk 
 

We welcome this opportunity for people to come together and enjoy watching England play in Hackney’s vibrant pubs, clubs and bars during the Euros. 

We’re committed to creating safer nights out all year round so that people can feel safe and welcome in our borough. As part of our ongoing work supporting local venues with regular training and resources, our Hackney Nights team are helping licensed premises prepare for the extra footfall and opening hours. And as always, our #DontCrossTheLine campaign is sending a clear message that we don’t tolerate any form of hate, harassment or abuse in Hackney. 

We wish the England team good luck as they progress in the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament.
 

Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Regulatory Services