Earlier this month the Home Office confirmed that pubs, clubs and bars in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours over the extended June bank holiday weekend for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The Platinum Jubilee will mark the Queen's 70-year reign, with the celebrations including a four-day bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2 June until Sunday 5 June. Licensing hours will be extended from the normal 11pm closing time to 1am the following day on Thursday 2, Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June.
UKHospitality has applauded the temporary change in licensing rules, saying it will allow people to come together for longer in hospitality venues to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee in their community and aid the recovery of the beleaguered sector.
“We welcome that the Government has seen the importance of extending licensing hours for an occasion as momentous as the Platinum Jubilee Weekend, when pubs and bars are likely to be a focus of community celebrations,” says Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality.
“The boost to business will be very welcome for operators facing soaring costs and plummeting consumer confidence. With the higher 20% rate of VAT also set to return for the sector in April, businesses will need to capitalise on every opportunity to drive revenue if they are to have any hope of recovery post-pandemic.”
Licensing hours have previously been extended for The Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016; the FIFA World Cup in 2014; The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012; and the royal wedding in 2011.