The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be the most commercially significant summer the UK hospitality sector has seen in years. For many venues, it could also be the most expensive, if the preparation does not match the ambition.
That is the warning from Dominic Roe, Managing Director of Hospitality & Leisure at Gallagher, who has spent three decades working in insurance and risk management for the sector.
The tournament is projected to drive £898 million in consumer spending across pubs, bars and restaurants, with approximately 12 million consumers forecast to make a purchase at a venue during the competition, according to analysis by VoucherCodes.co.uk. Roe does not dispute the opportunity. What concerns him is whether operators are thinking as seriously about the downside as they are about the upside.
"This is genuinely good news," he said. "But it comes with a bit of extra risk."
Hospitality spend during the tournament is forecast to be 103 per cent higher than during the 2022 World Cup and 46 per cent above the 2024 Euros. Evening kick-off times across North America have worked in UK operators' favour, driving higher pub attendance than in previous tournaments, while the government's Great British Savings Scheme has encouraged more consumers to holiday at home this year, adding to the staycation dynamic expected to sustain footfall well beyond individual match days.
Regulatory changes are providing additional support. In April 2026, the government confirmed that under The Licensing Act 2003 (FIFA World Cup licensing hours) Order 2026, licensed premises in England and Wales can remain open until 1am for knockout fixtures kicking off between 5pm and 9pm, and until 2am for matches starting between 9pm and 10pm, though businesses still need to secure the relevant approvals for individual fixtures and any outdoor activity.
"We're already seeing local councils deny licence requests," Roe said. "Businesses need to treat each match day like an individual event."
Public liability is where the real exposure sits. Slips and trips are the highest-frequency claim in hospitality at the best of times; under World Cup conditions - larger crowds, longer hours, more alcohol, fewer experienced staff - the circumstances that produce them become harder to control. Spillages that would ordinarily be cleared within minutes go unaddressed when bars are three-deep. Glassware piles up when staff are stretched. Risk assessments written for a normal trading day do not account for a venue running at twice its usual capacity.
Roe is equally clear on fire risk, which operators tend to underestimate when trading conditions change sharply. Higher cooking volumes accelerate fat build-up in extraction units, increasing the cleaning frequency required. Additional screens, televisions and sound systems brought in for the tournament change the electrical load in a venue, equipment that should be PAT tested before use and factored into an updated fire load assessment. "These things can't be left to chance during a period like this," he said.
The staffing picture compounds both exposures. Labour shortages and years of subdued trading have left many operators leaning on agency staff and newer recruits who have never worked a high-volume event. Training that happens on the night is not training, it is improvisation, and improvisation under pressure is where incidents occur.
For brokers, this is a moment to be proactive rather than reactive. Hospitality clients are focused on the commercial upside and may need a reminder that the risks are equally real.
"Businesses are just thinking about the upsides," Roe said. "It's our job to come along and remind them about the risks that could ruin it. We really want the sector to succeed and thrive, but the last thing we want is the top line to grow while costs rise equally as much and profits don't benefit."
The warning signs that a venue is losing control tend to be visible early: crowding at bars and entrances, delayed responses to spillages and uncleared glassware. Operators that manage peak periods well treat each high-footfall match day as a planned event rather than an extension of normal trading, with clear capacity limits, updated licence conditions and enough experienced staff to make decisive calls when pressure builds.
"It's all about preparation," Roe said. "Know your capacity limits. Know what your licence allows. Don't cut corners. Plan. Train your people. And use this opportunity to really thrive."
