More than 500,000 tourists are expected to visit Pennsylvania when the World Cup comes to Philly for a three-week stretch this summer.

The bar and restaurant industry sees this as a golden opportunity for Philly's nightlife to capitalize on a swell of soccer fans and others coming to town to mark the United States' 250th anniversary. Bars want the option stay open past the state's 2 a.m. curfew for serving alcohol.

"We want to make sure that Philly is competitive with the other host cities," said Ben Fileccia, senior vice president of strategy and engagement at the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association, a trade group based in Harrisburg. "We know people are going to be coming from all over the world, and their drinking schedule doesn't necessarily stop at 2 a.m. I would much prefer that liquor is being sold and provided by businesses that do this on a regular basis and know how to protect their guests."

Lincoln Financial Field is hosting six World Cup matches, including one on the Fourth of July. The international soccer tournament is at the heart of a packed summer schedule that has made Philadelphia a global travel destination in 2026. The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates more than 1 million international travelers will be in town this year. 

"We're going to be hosting a huge crowd, anyway," Fileccia said. "We would rather capture that extra revenue and help our restaurants and our liquor licensees. It will also drive more tax revenue to the city and state."

Other World Cup host cities, like New York and Miami, allow alcohol service until 4 a.m. or later. Kansas City is hosting six matches this summer, and lawmakers in Missouri recently passed legislation allowing bars and restaurants to stay open up to 23 hours straight during the World Cup. Kansas lawmakers are considering a similar bill.

Any temporary changes to Philly's bar curfew would need to be authorized by a state law. The bill would need to spell out how and when the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board should administer permits for businesses that want to adjust their hours.

The city is interested in entertaining ways to grant bars more leeway to take advantage of the tourism boom.

"Exploring extended business hours is one of many economic strategies that is being discussed as cities around the country prepare to host large-scale global events in 2026 and beyond," Karen Fegely, acting director of the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, said in a statement. "... If the State advances legislation, the City is ready to engage and partner to ensure any policy is thoughtful, and centered on public safety, neighborhood quality of life, and economic benefit for all."

Pennsylvania hasn't loosened the bar curfew in a decade

The last time Philly was granted a window to extend its bar curfew happened during the Democratic National Convention in 2016. Less than two weeks before the political convention that July, the state passed a law narrowly defining how Philly bars could participate during a period of about a week.

PLCB accepted applications for a $5,000 "national event permit" allowing approved businesses to stay open until 4 a.m., but only if they hosted events sanctioned by the DNC. The response was underwhelming, partly because of the time crunch and confusion about the rules.

Thirty bars ended up with permits, including Center City sports bar Ladder 15 and Gayborhood hotspot Woody's. More than half of the participating bars were at hotels, and applications from 17 other businesses were denied.

The PLCB is required to follow strict rules in any laws granting time-limited changes to the liquor code, spokesperson Shawn Kelly said. Many questions will need to be answered in Harrisburg, including how many bars could stay open late, whether the extended curfew would be restricted to certain neighborhoods and if there would be a cost to participate.

"If and when the law is changed, PLCB will respond accordingly," he said.

Zakary Pyzik, leader of the restaurant and lodging association's public affairs efforts in Harrisburg, said there has been "enthusiastic" support from a handful of state lawmakers based in Philly. Several of them, including Democrats and Republicans, declined to comment on plans to introduce legislation concerning bar hours this summer, or answer questions about the potential scope of extended service.

At a minimum, PRLA wants bars to have the option to stay open past 2 a.m. for the entirety of the World Cup — a 39-day stretch from June 11 to July 19.

"We want operators and owners of all restaurants and bars of different sizes, ranging from small mom-and-pops to bigger chains and even beyond that, to have the opportunity to get involved if they want to," Pyzik said. "It would be different for everybody. There are a lot of questions operators would have to ask if they do get involved. They'll want to make sure they can do it responsibly and safely."

Philadelphia Soccer 2026, FIFA's World Cup host committee for the city, did not respond when asked whether it has been involved in discussions about extended bar service or if it would partner with businesses for late-night events should a law get passed.

Would bars want to stay open so late? Would people go? 

Of the six World Cup matches scheduled in Philly, the latest start time is the 9 p.m. group stage contest between Brazil and Haiti on Friday, June 19. Another group stage match between Ivory Coast and Ecuador on June 14 starts at 7 p.m. All of the other matches have 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. start times.

Group stage games last about two hours. Knockout round games could be three hours long if they end on penalty kicks.

How much demand there will be for World Cup-related nightlife past 2 a.m. in Philly is difficult to predict. FIFA says its match times are optimized to enable the "widest-possible global audience" to follow the tournament. Several matches, all broadcast on FOX-owned networks, are scheduled to begin as late as midnight on the East Coast.

Philadelphia Soccer 2026, which will hold the free FIFA FanFest at Fairmount Park's Lemon Hill for the duration of the World Cup, has not yet revealed its daily hours of operation. Watch parties at the festival are expected to draw as many as 25,000 people each day, and they may want to keep festivities going afterward, including at hotels contracted for the 39-day event.

"I think there's a lot of different restaurants and bars in Philly that not only already operate with significant late-night demand, but would welcome the opportunity to explore extended hours," Pyzik said.

The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage & Tavern Association, another trade group in Harrisburg, is "supportive" of legislation to extend service hours but has some doubts about how successful it would be with businesses and customers.

"Part of the problem with the 4 a.m. concept will be getting employees to work that late," Executive Director Chuck Moran said. "The second issue with the 4 a.m. concept will be that the late-night bar crowds have disappeared. At least that's what bar owners tell me across the state. So I'm not sure how popular it would be with bar owners. Nonetheless, it would be worth giving bar owners that option."

Moran said he expects lawmakers to address a range of regulatory issues for bars statewide this year due to the boost in tourism and major events. He noted the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh and the MLB All-Star Game in Philly as occasions that merit flexibility for venues that serve alcohol.

"It's a much bigger issue that goes beyond the World Cup," he said.

Pyzik said he's hopeful state lawmakers will get on board with a sensible plan to make Philadelphia an attractive nightlife destination for World Cup travelers, but he expects it will be a battle that's going to take bipartisan leadership.

"Obviously, they've got divided government up (in Harrisburg) and it's an election year, so you've got partisan politics that will be on full display," he said. "We're mindful of the fact that even bridge naming resolutions in Harrisburg right now are uphill battles."