Fylde coast’s Marston’s pubs to stay open until 5am for England's World Cup 2026 clash with Mexico
Are you staying up for the game?
Marston’s pubs across the Fylde coast have confirmed that fans will be able to watch England's World Cup last-16 tie against Mexico at their establishments.
Pubs were given permission to stay open until 5am on Monday by the government, with the knockout clash in Mexico City due to kick off at 1am UK time on Monday and not expected to finish until at least 3am.
Marston's has confirmed its four pubs in the area – the Bellflower in Garstang, the Bell & Bottle in Kirkham, the Three Lights in Fleetwood and the Gardeners Arms in Thornton – will remain open for supporters throughout the match.
The extended opening hours follow a government U-turn on the matter. Ministers had initially said licensing laws would not be relaxed further for the tournament, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer later confirmed pubs in England and Wales would be allowed to stay open until 5am so fans could watch the match in full.
England's tie against Mexico will also go ahead at its original kick-off time after FIFA abandoned plans to bring the fixture forward to Sunday evening UK time.
Football's world governing body had proposed the change following weather forecasts suggesting possible thunderstorms in Mexico City, but discussions with the Football Association and the Mexican Football Federation raised concerns over player preparation, fan travel and the logistics of rescheduling such a major World Cup fixture.
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‘A 1am kick-off is no barrier’
Jared Sedgwick, Director of Operations at Marston’s, said: "More than 400 of our pubs were already set to open late for England v Mexico on Sunday night - and the Government's decision to ease licensing restrictions means that number is only going one way.
“When England are playing, a 1am kick-off is no barrier, and we'll make sure fans have somewhere great to watch it together in the kind of big match atmosphere that's hard to replicate at home.
"If the last game was anything to go by, there'll be plenty to keep people on the edge of their seats - and with spaces filling up fast, we'd encourage anyone planning to join us to book ahead to avoid disappointment. We also suspect there might be a little more 'working from home' come Monday morning.”