World Cup fans will be keeping the party going until 4 a.m.
Earplugs, anyone?
Hooligans, rejoice! With less than a month to go before the World Cup kicks off in Toronto, the province has approved plans to extend last call to 4 a.m. The extra two hours will take effect on June 11 and run through the end of the tournament, on July 19. Any bar or restaurant with a licence to serve alcohol can get in on the action.
“Fans can fully experience the energy, excitement and atmosphere of the tournament while supporting jobs, strengthening local businesses and driving economic growth across Ontario,” says Attorney General Doug Downey of the decision, which is likely to please and piss off Torontonians in equal measure.
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For lovers of unchecked debauchery under the guise of sports fandom, a 4 a.m. last call is obviously a big win (at least until the morning after). Same goes for the many business owners likely to make a mint off of revellers who see no reason to head home just because the game is long over.
Often, extended service hours reflect a significant time difference between where a game is being played and where it’s being watched. For instance, bars in Toronto were allowed to open at 7 a.m. during the Qatar World Cup, in 2022, so Canadians could catch those early matches. In this case, the shift seems to be a more vaguely conceived license to party, which also includes extended LCBO hours at 27 locations in the GTA and Ottawa.
Related: A ranking of Tim Hortons’ new FIFA-inspired Timbits
Hence the pissed-off contingent, who were already sounding the alarm about the noise, traffic and safety concerns associated with dumping 230,000 daily visitors on an already crowded city. And now we want to make sure those visitors have nearly unfettered access to Jäger shots?
There are, to be fair, plans underway to control the chaos. Whether the city is ready for the massive collective hangover remains to be seen.
Courtney Shea is a freelance journalist in Toronto. She started her career as an intern at Toronto Life and continues to contribute frequently to the publication, including her 2022 National Magazine Award–winning feature, “The Death Cheaters,” her regular Q&As and her recent investigation into whether Taylor Swift hung out at a Toronto dive bar (she did not). Courtney was a producer and writer on the 2022 documentary The Talented Mr. Rosenberg, based on her 2014 Toronto Life magazine feature “The Yorkville Swindler.”
