England’s Win Over Norway Lifted U.K. Pub Spending by 23%

Spending at pubs and bars across the United Kingdom rose sharply during England’s World Cup victory over Norway on Saturday, according to new transaction data from the payments company Dojo, offering another sign that major tournament nights are lifting trade for hospitality businesses.

Dojo said full-day spending at pubs and bars increased by an average of 23% compared with the previous Saturday. The analysis covered transactions processed through the company’s network between 10 a.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday.

The strongest jumps came at key moments around the match. Dojo said spending was 152% higher than the previous week at midnight, when fans were preparing for extra time. After the final whistle, spending remained elevated, rising 125% at 12:50 a.m. as supporters stayed out to celebrate England’s advance to the semifinals.

Halftime also produced a clear rush at the bar. Spending was up 105% at 10:50 p.m. and 112% at 11 p.m., compared with the same period a week earlier. Before kickoff, Dojo said spending reached its highest level of the evening at 9:50 p.m., as customers bought drinks ahead of the start of play.

The figures point to how closely pub revenue can track the rhythm of a major sporting event, especially when matches run late and extend beyond regulation time. For operators, extra time can mean more than drama on screen. It can also mean another round of orders in venues that depend on high-volume trading windows.

The increase was not evenly spread across the country. Southampton recorded the largest average rise in full-day pub spending, up 94% from the previous Saturday. Leeds followed with a 37% increase, and Birmingham was next at 31%. Brighton posted a 27% gain, London 26%, Bristol 23%, Manchester 18%, Liverpool 12% and Newcastle 11%.

Dojo said London’s lower increase may reflect a tougher comparison because London Pride took place the previous Saturday, lifting spending levels across the capital. When measured against two weeks earlier instead of one, London’s increase rises from 26% to 42%, according to the company.

The latest numbers were stronger than those recorded for England’s previous Saturday match in the tournament, against Panama on June 27, when full-day pub spending rose by 12% from the week before, Dojo said.

Charlie Ashworth, Dojo’s head of research and insights, said the data showed that the tournament was continuing to support hospitality trade. He said businesses were now likely to prepare for another busy night when England faces Argentina in Wednesday’s semifinal.

The figures are based on anonymized and aggregated card transaction data processed through Dojo’s payment network during the England-Norway match in July. Because the data reflects only spending captured by one payments provider, it offers a partial view of national trading activity rather than a complete measure of all pub sales. Even so, it adds to evidence that football tournaments can deliver meaningful short-term gains for bars and pubs, particularly when matches draw large crowds and keep customers out late into the night.