FIFA World Cup 2026 licensing
6 May 2026
In response to enquiries regarding children and young person access and times that they can be on premises to watch the FIFA World Cup games:
Children and young person terms, times and access to the premises are detailed in the operating plan within the premises licence. Please ensure tha tthe premises is compliant with it's individual premises licence. East Lothian Licensing Board does not consider the showing of any of the football games as a pre-arranged function, and children and young persons should not be permitted to stay for this reason.
It is a mandatory premises licence condition to have an 'Age Verification policy'. The policy should be in writing, to challenge any person who appears under the age of 25 years and detail what ID the premises will accept. Staff should be trained on the policy and a record of this training kept.
1 April 2026
If you intend to make use of the extended hours for the Home Nation games, remember the use of any outdoor drinking areas should cease at 10pm in accordance with the East Lothian Licensing Board Statement of Licensing Policy. Should there be a specific condition on your premises licence in relation to the use of the outdoor area, this must be adhered to e.g. use must cease at 8pm, and no amplified music or speech.
26 February 2026
Statement by the board for the general extensions of licensed hours
In terms of section 67 of the Licensing Scotland Act 2005, the Board has determined that it is appropriate to grant a general extension of licensed hours for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (the “Tournament”).
For the duration of the Tournament, premises can remain open until 30 minutes after the conclusion of any home nation fixture.
This extension will only apply to licensed premises which have both on-sales and have stated within their operating plan that they show televised sports.
There is no obligation placed on licence holders to take advantage of these extensions should they not wish to do so.
The Board would like to remind all licence holders that the conditions of their Premises Licence remain in force for the duration of the extended hours and all relevant risk assessments should be conducted to ensure compliance with all licensing objectives during the period of extended hours.
The Licensing Authority would encourage Premises that intend to make use of the General Extension to notify the Licensing Team of their intention using the form (below), which can be downloaded and emailed to licensing@eastlothian.gov.uk
27 January 2026
East Lothian Licensing Board continue to consider their options to allow local businesses to televise Scotland's World Cup games (and other Home Nations), and are anticipating Scottish Government guidance being published soon. The Board can either grant a General Extension which will allow premises with an operating plan which includes Televised Sport to benefit from the extended hours, or require premises to apply for Occasional Extended Hours for each event.
The Board will hopefully be able to make an announcement at the end of February 2026.
In the meantime, premises can ensure they are ready to operate outwith their usual hours by:
- checking that CCTV is working correctly
- having a personal licence holder on the premises
- ensuring a qualified First Aider will be on the premises
19 December 2025
In advance of making a decision on how East Lothian Licensing Board will deal with extending licensing hours during FIFA World Cup 2026, they are interested in gauging how many premises may be interested in showing the Scotland's group stage games. The Board would appreciate you indicating your interest, by completing a very short survey.
15 December 2025
In anticipation of licensed Premises showing FIFA World Cup 2026 games, East Lothian Licensing Board wants to ensure Premises licence holders are prepared. If you are considering showing the games, please ensure that your Operating Plan includes Televised Sports.
If your Operating Plan does not include Televised Sport, you will need to apply for a Major Variation to your licence.
Any application to vary your licence must be lodged with East Lothian Licensing Board by Friday 13 March 2026.