Pubs granted extra hour of trade to celebrate Glasgow 2018 Published duration 4 July 2018

image caption Artist's visualisation of the George Square cultural festival

All Glasgow pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels will be able to open for an extra hour during next month's European Championships.

Glasgow Licensing Board has agreed bars can stay open until 01:00 and clubs until 04:00.

The city is co-hosting the multi-sports event, from 2-12 August, with Berlin in Germany.

The championships are due to be the biggest event in Glasgow since the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Councillor Matt Kerr, GLB Chair, said: "I'm sure our licensed trade will rise to the occasion as they always do."

A separate cultural programme featuring live music, circus, dance, theatre and visual art will run alongside the sporting action.

Premises will not be obliged to take up the offer and do not have to apply for the extension.

'Fantastic reputation'

But the licensing board said they must notify the council of their intention to take advantage of the relaxed laws.

Last orders for restaurants and hotels vary in accordance with their own individual conditions.

The extension will not apply to casinos, which are able to operate until 06:00.

Mr Kerr said: "The European Championships will again put Glasgow in the international spotlight with a potential TV audience of over a billion tuning in to view the sporting action."

He added: "Glasgow pubs, clubs and restaurants have a fantastic reputation and we know from our experience during the Commonwealth Games that people in the city want to go out and enjoy themselves after the day's competition is over."

Glasgow and other locations in Scotland will host swimming, cycling, rowing, triathlon, gymnastics and golf.

Berlin's Olympic Stadium will stage the athletics competition.