Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed proclamation AN-2026-07 on Monday at Mulligan’s Pub, 159 1st Street in Hoboken, the city’s designated premier soccer destination. The order gives New Jersey municipalities the authority to adjust alcohol hours-of-sale ordinances for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which opens June 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. Eight games are scheduled across the 39-day tournament in New Jersey.
Key Takeaways
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed proclamation AN-2026-07 at Mulligan’s Pub, 159 1st Street, Hoboken, giving every New Jersey municipality the option to adjust alcohol hours-of-sale ordinances during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- A New Jersey Office of Attorney General memo released in April 2026 confirmed that the state ABC cannot override local municipal ordinances on bar hours, enabling towns to open bars earlier or later during match days.
- Hoboken’s City Council voted Wednesday to introduce a formal ordinance for extended World Cup bar hours with a $100 application fee per establishment — mirroring the model the city used during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, when bars opened as early as 5 a.m.
New Jersey’s New ABC Guidance Changes Bar Hours for World Cup Matches
The New Jersey Office of Attorney General released a memo in April 2026 confirming that the state ABC cannot overrule a local municipal ordinance on bar hours and establishing an application process for temporary permits during the tournament. Municipalities can choose to open bars earlier, keep them open later, or both, to accommodate matches broadcast across multiple time zones. The NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control retains authority over the manufacture, distribution, sale, and transportation of all alcoholic beverages statewide, while towns hold independent authority over hours-of-sale ordinances.
Sherrill told reporters the timing rationale is straightforward: some games will air simultaneously, and fans will want to watch matches live or revisit key moments afterward. She described the decision-making as entirely local, telling reporters the order does not compel any municipality to change its rules. According to Sherrill, Mulligan’s Pub plans to open one hour before every match under the expanded permissions.
Hoboken’s 2023 Women’s World Cup Bar Policy Set the Template
Hoboken built the foundation for this in 2023, when the city adopted a policy to let bars open and serve at 5 a.m. during Women’s World Cup matches. Establishments were required to apply to the city’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board and pay a $100 fee. The restrictions attached to those early hours included no music or amplified noise beyond game audio, no outdoor crowds or lines, patrons confined indoors between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., and no outdoor viewing. The 2023 ordinance was written to apply to future World Cup years, directing the ABC Bureau of the Hoboken Police Department and city administration to recommend updated rules to the ABC Board on a yearly basis in years when the World Cup is held, calibrated to the tournament’s location and game schedule…