PUBS will stay open two hours later over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, the government has confirmed.
Boozers in England and Wales will be given a two-hour licensing extension to serve drinks until 1am during the three-day summer celebration.
The change, from the usual 11pm cut off, applies on June 2, 3 and 4 as Her Majesty marks 70 years on the throne.
Home Office minister Kit Malthouse said it would allow revellers to “celebrate the longest-reigning monarch in the United Kingdom”.
In a written statement to Parliament concerning the rule relaxation, he added that an impact assessment is being prepared and will be published alongside the order.
Among the events planned to mark the monarch’s record sovereignty are a live concert featuring some of the world’s biggest stars, a service of thanksgiving and a day at the races.
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A Platinum Jubilee Pageant will also be staged in London and feature more than 5,000 people from across the UK and Commonwealth.
It will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and surrounding streets, combining street arts, theatre, music and circus.
Although licensing hours were reformed in 2003 – allowing pubs and bars to open round the clock – many have stuck with the traditional 11pm closing time.
The Licensing Act allows exceptions to be made on occasions of “exceptional international, national or local significance”.
Past national occasions where the government has pushed back pub closing times include the royal weddings in 2011 and 2018, the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, the FIFA World Cup in 2014, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Serving hours were also extended for the 75th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day in 2020.
This year’s Jubilee extension will also apply to premises’ entertainment licences.
It covers the four-day Bank Holiday Weekend in June, which includes the specially-adjusted May Bank Holiday that usually falls at the end of the month.
It has been shifted to June 2 to fit in the fun, meaning millions will get an an extra day off to toast the Queen, 95.
