Thousands of England and Scotland fans are planning to watch the 2026 World Cup from a bar terrace in Benidorm or Magaluf. There's just one problem: the TVs go silent after midnight.
Local authorities in both resorts have imposed strict noise rules for the tournament. In Benidorm's so-called Little England strip on the Costa Blanca, outdoor terraces must drop to 55 decibels after 11.30pm Spanish time. In Magaluf, Calvia Town Hall has gone further — all audio on outdoor screens must be "completely turned off after midnight, with the volume set to zero."
The timing couldn't be worse. England's Group L games against Croatia, Ghana, and Panama are scheduled to kick off at 10pm or 11pm local time. By the time the second half rolls around, fans could be sitting in silence watching subtitled football — or squeezed back inside pubs that may have already called last orders.
Hoteliers are pushing back — but don't count on a full reversal
Benidorm's hotel association Hosbec has already written to the town council requesting that the decibel limit be pushed back until the final whistle for those three England group games. The expectation is that Benidorm will eventually comply. Calvia, covering Magaluf, hasn't signalled the same flexibility.
The economic stakes are real. Tour operators were already projecting an 18% increase in flights between the UK and Alicante. Riot police are being deployed. Evening and night-time police reinforcements have been confirmed from June 11 to July 19. The infrastructure for a huge influx of British fans is being built — the noise rules feel like someone forgot to read the match schedule before signing off on the decree.
Magaluf's council statement is worth reading in full: "Only the visual signal of the matches may be shown in order to guarantee the rest of residents and tourists." Screens must also face inward, away from public spaces, to prevent crowds gathering outside.
What this actually means for fans planning a World Cup trip
If you're booking Benidorm on the assumption you'll be watching England on a sun-drenched terrace with a beer in hand at midnight, factor in the uncertainty. A council U-turn is plausible but not guaranteed, and even if Benidorm bends, Magaluf's rules look more firmly set.
England's knockout games — assuming Gareth Southgate's successor gets them through — could kick off even later. The group stage compromise being negotiated now only covers three matches. Nobody's yet discussed what happens if England reach the quarterfinals and kick off at 1am Spanish time.
Any operator pricing England to go deep in the tournament should probably also be pricing in a significant number of fans watching the later rounds from a hotel room with the curtains drawn.
