With the tournament set to run from 11 June to 19 July, and many fixtures taking place in the evening in the UK, operators are facing a major summer sales opportunity.
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However, research from across the sector suggests success will depend on how well pubs convert pre match demand, manage capacity and create a compelling reason for customers to leave home.
Bookings up
Zonal data has already pointed to strong early demand, with bookings for England’s first FIFA World Cup 2026 match up 184% compared with a typical trading day. Across the wider hospitality sector, bookings are up 64% year on year.
The technology provider said the uplift highlighted the continued role of live sport in driving footfall, as well as a growing shift towards customers booking ahead for major sporting occasions.
However, separate research from The Oxford Partnership suggests many World Cup visits may remain walk in led, with only 30% of consumers expecting to book ahead.
Commercial opportunity
Drawing on trading data from England’s Euro 2024 fixtures, Oxford Market Watch found beer volumes peaked one to two hours before kick off, remained relatively stable during matches and fell sharply after full time.
The findings suggest pubs may need to rethink traditional matchday strategies, with the strongest commercial window likely to come before play begins and during the half time break.
Alison Jordan, CEO at The Oxford Partnership, said the assumption had often been that World Cup occasions generated spending throughout the evening and after the match.
“The evidence suggests something different,” she said. “The commercial opportunity is increasingly concentrated before kick off.”
She added consumers were becoming more deliberate, looking for “convenience, atmosphere and certainty” that a visit would be worth leaving home for.
The wider hospitality opportunity remains significant. VoucherCodes.co.uk’s 2026 World Cup Spending Report forecasts UK consumers will spend £898m in hospitality venues during the tournament, including £536m on drinks and £361m on food.
12m consumers
The report predicts 12m consumers will make a purchase in pubs, bars or restaurants during the competition, with hospitality spend forecast to be 103% higher than during the 2022 World Cup and 46% above the 2024 Euros.
The opportunity is also being supported by wider licensing flexibility.
Pubs in England and Wales will be able to stay open later for a broader range of World Cup knockout matches, with extended hours applying to selected England or Scotland fixtures. Under the revised measures, licensed premises will be able to remain open until 1am for matches kicking off between 5pm and 9pm, and until 2am for fixtures starting between 9pm and 10pm.
For operators, this points to a need to focus on early arrival, dwell time and value led occasions. Pre match food offers, drink variety, bookable tables, group packages, outdoor trading areas and clear fixture promotion could all help pubs capture demand before customers settle in for kick off.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has also released updated guidance to help pubs prepare for the tournament, compiled with UKHospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
The guidance covers areas including staffing, licensing and customer safety, with the BBPA saying pubs should work closely with local authorities and police to deliver a safe and successful tournament.
Emma McClarkin, BBPA CEO, said the pub remained “the home of live sport” and said the guidance was designed to help venues make the most of the opportunity.