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Philadelphia Bars Can Stay Open Until 4 A.M. this Summer
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Senate Bill 1218, sponsored by Senators Joe Picozzi and Vincent Hughes, passed the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives and moved to Governor Josh Shapiro’s desk for approval. Shapiro then signed the bill into law on Friday, March 27, 2026.
The legislation establishes a temporary ‘Philadelphia 250 Permit’ that allows bars, restaurants and nightlife venues to stay open an extra two hours during the World Cup and other 250 celebrations, extending closing time from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. between June 11 and July 20, 2026.
Oh man it’s on. Make sure to circle June 19th on the calendar because Brazil is gonna put seven goals past the Haitians and then the Brasileiros are gonna make Center City look like Carnival.
The World Cup schedule for Philly:
- Sunday, June 14th: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, 7 p.m.
- Friday, June 19th: Brazil vs. Haiti, 9 p.m.
- Monday, June 22nd: France vs. Iraq or Bolivia, 5 p.m.
- Thursday, June 25th: Ivory Coast vs. Curacao, 4 p.m.
- Saturday, June 27th: Croatia vs. Ghana 5 p.m.
And then in July we’ve got the MLB All-Star Game taking place on the 14th, so we’re really going from the World Cup into the Fourth of July and then right into the ASG. Incredible stuff.
The bigger question with this temporary permit is whether or not it could ever become permanent. New York City bars are allowed to stay open until 4 a.m. The city needs as much money as it can get, so pushing this window back opens the door to needed revenue. You also risk having more drunks stumbling about at the ass crack of dawn, maybe annoying people in neighboring residential areas who are trying to sleep, but we shall see how it goes. There’s a give and take with everything and this is the ideal time to give it a try.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com