Lionesses’ Euros win victory for England’s pubs
Pubs sold 14.3% more pints on Sunday versus the prior weekend, as punters toasted England’s Lionesses who took home the European Championship title for the second time.
UK pubs saw sales soar over the weekend, fuelled by the Lionesses’ Euros win, new data from The Oxford Partnership’s Market Watch has revealed.
On Sunday, the England Lionesses scored a historic second European Championship title, and fans flocked to pubs and bars in record numbers to celebrate.
Speaking to the drinks business, Allie, general manager of the Old Nun’s Head in southeast London, said the matchday atmosphere was “insane”.
The queer-run pub had teamed up with local radio platform foundation.fm and Urban Outfitters to host a series of parties leading up to the final.
“I’ve never seen anything like it before, everyone’s still talking about it,” said Allie. “It was just a sea of people. It’s a credit to the women’s England team at the moment, and how they’re getting a whole nation excited about sport and especially women’s sport.”
Alison Jordan, CEO of The Oxford Partnership, added that the weekend’s performance was a compelling demonstration of how national sporting moments translated into real value for the trade.
She said: “The energy generated by the Lionesses, combined with the rise of new fan favourites like darts, shows how the cultural sporting landscape is evolving. Pubs remain the heart of these celebrations, offering shared spaces where people want to come together.”
More people through the door
From Friday through to Sunday, venues recorded notable uplifts in footfall and drinks sales, culminating in a 14.3% uptick in pint sales on Sunday alone versus the prior weekend.
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Trading hours were extended for the semi final and final stages of the Euros tournament, meaning pubs that would usually close at 11pm were allowed to stay open until 1am.
Speaking to db, one Hackney-based operator said the game was in line with the “fun, exciting” buzz expected of football games, with plenty of customers through the door.
The Women’s UEFA Euros 2025 tournament is estimated to have boosted Britain’s economy by £801m, db previously reported. It was the most watched TV moment of 2025, according to BBC.
Saturday brought early momentum, with the Rugby Lions’ test match and the England vs. India cricket test combining to keep fans in venues for longer.
Raising a glass
Draught beer and cider volumes soared by 8.3% compared to the previous Saturday, particularly in community and drink-led venues where dwell time and premium spend spiked.
Sunday’s sporting line-up – including the Belgian Grand Prix and darts sensation Luke Littler’s win – helped drive pint sales up by 14.3%, making it the strongest day of the weekend.
The Oxford Partnership estimates that the weekend drove an added 1.33m pints served across the UK, reinforcing the commercial importance of event-led trading.
Category-level insights reveal a growing consumer shift towards premium options. World lager led the charge with a 19.9% uplift on Sunday, closely followed by world 4% lager (+15.6%). Flavoured cider saw a 28.1% surge, pointing to broadening appeal among younger and more diverse audiences.
Craft Ale jumped 17.8%, while Ale and Stout recorded steady double-digit growth.
