Karlstad's labor market and social committee decided to secure arrangements for public celebrations at restaurants showing matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The decision is conditioned on having security guards after 01:00 if restaurants are open. The new opening hours will only apply after students have had school closing, which occurs between June 11 and 12 in Karlstad.
The youth council influenced Karlstad's decision because young people feel unsafe with drunk adults in central Karlstad. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Sweden's first match in the tournament is on June 15 at 04:00 against Tunisia.
Sweden will participate on the other side of the Atlantic, meaning matches will be at night in Sweden. Sweden's first group stage match is against Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, and starts at 04:00 Swedish time. Sundsvall municipality has proposed extending serving hours during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
For a bar to be open until 07:00 in Sundsvall, the alcohol and tobacco unit needs to conduct an assessment and relevant measures, with police being consulted. The political majority in Sundsvall wants exceptions to the guidelines for serving permits and easier exceptions for special occasions in the future. The proposal was decided in the municipal executive board, and the final decision will be made on April 27 in the municipal council.
Linköping municipality is changing rules so that bars can sell beer throughout the entire World Cup, regardless of the time of day. Normally, no bars are open that late, and the permit to serve alcohol only applies until 03:00. Bars in Norrköping are allowed to serve alcohol at night in connection with the summer's football World Cup.
Norrköping municipality will assess each application individually with a focus on ensuring safety and order. Several municipalities in the country have opened up for alcohol service during Sweden's matches in the football World Cup. The UK government has confirmed extended licensing hours for pubs in England and Wales during the 2026 Men's Football World Cup.
Pubs in England and Wales will be permitted to serve until 1am for fixtures kicking off between 5pm and 9pm. Extended hours will also apply to certain earlier evening matches, including England and Scotland's first knockout games should they progress from the group stages. Up to 13 matches could fall under the national extension in England and Wales.
The extended hours follow a six-week public consultation launched in December. Alcohol licensing is a devolved matter in Scotland, with individual local authorities considering their own extensions for licensed venues. Fewer than 50 of the Netherlands' 342 municipalities have agreed to extend opening hours for the 2026 World Cup.
In most Dutch municipalities, bars must close by around 2am on weekdays under current rules. The Netherlands is playing its three group stage games on 14 June at 22:00, 20 June at 19:00, and 26 June at 01:00 Dutch time. Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) has drawn up a template letter for bar and restaurant owners to send to local councils requesting more flexible rules.
Some Dutch municipalities, such as Tubbergen, have already agreed to temporarily extend opening hours. The total number of Swedish municipalities planning or deciding to extend alcohol serving hours remains unknown. Specific safety measures beyond security guards in Karlstad have not been detailed for other municipalities like Sundsvall or Norrköping.
Whether extended hours apply only to Sweden's matches or to all World Cup matches varies by municipality. Final approval timelines beyond Sundsvall's April 27 council decision are unclear for other municipalities. Comparisons between extended hours in the UK, Netherlands, and Sweden are difficult as conditions, durations, and approval processes differ significantly.