‘Weekday games were amazing’: pubs toast extra £150m in World Cup sales | Hospitality industry

Late opening hours and England’s advance to the semi-finals of an expanded World Cup have helped deliver the best football-related rise for pubs in recent years, figures show.

According to the British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA), pubs sold 30 million more pints during the tournament than during a normal trading period; while peak pumps generated additional sales of £150 million.

The World Cup-related sales surge, as fans follow England and Scotland matches, appears to have outpaced the surge seen in previous competitions, including England’s Euro 2024 final.

According to data from payment systems provider Epos Now, the most notable day in terms of sales growth over the normal shift over the last three tournaments was England’s early morning match against Mexico.

Sales that day almost doubled compared to before the tournament, as pubs were allowed to open throughout the night and trading could also take place during normal hours.

Three other games saw a two-thirds increase in transactions, according to the data.

By contrast, just two matches in Qatar 2022 and Euro 2024 led to an increase of more than 50%.

Another payments provider, Dojo, said sales during the tournament were 16% higher than normal, while the overall increase associated with the World Cup was 9% better than Euro 2024.

The surge in sales was followed by a £100 million aid package for pubs, with Andy Burnham announcing a 20% cut in business rates for the sector on Thursday. While government policy has been criticized for a lack of ambition, the dual benefits of tax relief and football have brought a rare respite to the ailing sector, which saw one pub a day close in England and Wales last year.

Dawn Slater, who runs the Garrick’s Head bar in Greater Manchester, said she and her team had more than doubled their sales compared to previous tournaments after increasing capacity outside and installing giant screens.

“It was a really busy game, every game was completely packed. We stopped entry two hours before every game.

“People definitely spent more money on this tournament, but it was also more expensive to run it. We had extra TVs and an outside bar. The plastic cups and jugs alone cost us £8,700. But the profits were good.

“For most games I had to be here from 10am to 2am and go to bed at 5am. It was worth every minute, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

But busy matchdays were often followed by quieter periods, which offset some of the gains and trade remained tied to England’s progress.

“The weekday matches were fantastic,” said Amy Williams, who runs George in Witham with her husband Tom. “We experienced a 300-400 percent increase in our case sales compared to the previous week.

“We had a Dolly Parton tribute show for the Norway game, but we canceled it because she ran out of space to perform.”

“A few people showed up for the final on Sunday. It would have been a great week if England had gotten through that but not many people showed up that weekend. Normally we’re busy but it was the quietest.

“There was definitely a decrease in sales the day before and the day after. The next day [after England’s loss to Argentina] “It was like a ghost town.”

The impact of the World Cup was not felt equally across the hospitality industry, with restaurants struggling in hot weather.

Mitchells & Butlers, the UK’s largest hospitality chain, reported flat sales in the third quarter as a recovery in its pubs division during the World Cup was offset by warm weather deterring customers from brands such as Toby Carvery.

Restaurant groups that reported their sales to data analysis firm NIQ said sales in June fell at an annual rate of 0.7%, making it the second-worst month of 2026.