It may be coming home now, but this time two weeks ago nobody expected England to make it to their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years, so you can be excused for leaving it this late to make plans.
With football fever the worst that it has been since Euro 1996 and the sun shining in the capital, Londoners will be out in force to watch Belgium face France tonight and England take on Croatia tomorrow for a place in the World Cup final.
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If you want to join them, you might have a hard time finding somewhere with a television big enough or atmosphere electric enough. However, while your options are limited, there are still some venues with tickets available to catch the games.
If you’re wondering where to watch the World Cup in London, here are a few of our top picks:
France vs Belgium –
Bud Boat – Festival Pier
Price: £10
Start time: 4:30pm (boat departs at 5pm)
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By GlobalDataWith the England vs Croatia game sold out and tickets for the final given away at random, this could be your last chance to catch a match at the 2018 World Cup on board the Bud Boat, a viewing experience set on the deck of Budweiser’s World Cup party vessel, which will carry you along the Thames as Belgium and France compete for a spot in the final.
Lasting approximately five hours, watch the game with a bud in one hand and a burger in another as big name DJs keep spirits high, despite the inevitable threat of a tough final for England.
Your £10 ticket comes with guaranteed entry, a free Budweiser and a Red Light Cup, a goal synced glass that will keep you informed of on-goings in the match when you have to step away from the screen.
The Enchanted Garden @ Last Days of Shoreditch – Old Street
Price: It varies
Start time: 5pm
Last Days of Shoreditch, a street food and bar hotspot, knows how to throw a good party. That is evident, given tickets to both semi-final games have sold out. However, if you’re desperate for a big screen and electric atmosphere for Tuesday’s game, VIP packages are still available.
With an array of street food and cocktails to try and a star-studded line-up of DJs accompanying the huge screen, this is the place to be if you’re planning to make a night of Belgium or France’s World Cup victory.
Skylight London – Tobacco Dock
Price: From £10
Start time: Whenever
Enjoy the semi-finals on top of Tobacco Dock, an event space built out of an 1800s tobacco warehouse. Tobacco Dock’s charm will be intensified by the World Cup cheer on Tuesday, as Belgium meet France in the semis.
With big screens set up around Skylight, Tobacco Dock’s rooftop space, Londoners will pack in to enjoy both the sun and the game.
If the World Cup has left you feeling particularly competitive, there are croquet and pétanque (think boules, but French) courts to challenge your friends after the final whistle.
Pitch – Stratford
Price: From £10
Start time: 6pm
There’s just a few hours to go until kick-off, but you can still catch France vs Belgium at rooftop bar Pitch. All 196 inches of it on Pitch’s huge screen.
The Pitch name has nothing to do with football most of the time, but the venue has embraced its name this month, with the promise of a good view of the action, a good selection of drinks and some of the best street food that London has to offer attracting big crowds for World Cup matches.
Tickets are still available, starting at £10 for standing entry and two drinks. Groups of six can reserve a table for £60, which comes with two drinks per person.
England vs Croatia –
Tropicana Beach Club – Covent Garden
Price: From £10
Start time: 4pm
With temperatures in London having hit 30°C over the last week, there isn’t much need to pretend that you’re living in some sun-soaked, tropical paradise. However, if tacky Hawaiian is your theme of choice, Tropicana Beach Club is the perfect place to watch England make it through to their first final since 1966.
It may be a Wednesday night, but work can wait. This is England’s first time in a World Cup semi-final in almost three decades and celebrations are in order. With big screens and a menu full of cocktails, Tropicana Beach Club provides a place to celebrate England’s success (or drown your sorrows, depending on the result).
Early bird tickets have sold out, but there will be more tickets available on the door if you can get out of work early enough.
Bounce – Farringdon
Price: Free
Start time: Whenever
It’s Coming Home will inevitably ring out around the venue as a brass band and singing section keep spirits high, while commentators commentate throughout the game.
You might not be able to fly out to Moscow to enjoy the game live from the Luzhniki Stadium, but this is about as close as you can get.
Bounce, a popular ping-pong bar, knows how to throw a good party on the dullest of days. With England in the semi-finals of a World Cup, the venue will likely be full to capacity and in incredibly high spirits by the time the match kicks off.
The Water Poet – Shoreditch
Price: Free
Start time: Whenever
The Water Poet is your classic British pub, complete with sticky floors, bar snacks and a great selection of beers and spirits. What more do you need to enjoy a game of ball? Well, an enormous cinema screen, for starters.
The Water Poet has that traditional pub feel with a few extras, including eight huge screens throughout the pub and beer garden, as well as an even huger screen in the cellar. If you want a good view of the television during the game, The Water Poet has you covered.
The game will be the main event at The Water Poet. There’s no gimmicky event to go with it, just good beer, a good atmosphere and (hopefully) a good result.
BOXPARK – Various
Price: Free
Start time: Whenever
If you’ve left it until last-minute to find somewhere to catch Wednesday’s game, where better than the inside of a shipping container?
BOXPARK, a pop-up mall made out of repurposed shipping containers, has two venues across London that will be showing France vs Belgium on the big screen.
BOXPARK venues are open in Shoreditch and Croydon, so take your pick. It’s free to get in, but you’re best off RSVPing via the BOXPARK website beforehand. It’s not compulsory, but you will be given priority entry up to an hour before kick-off.
Hotel Indigo – Leicester Square
Price: Free
Start time: Whenever
Swap a sweaty pub for somewhere a little more luxurious to watch England sail through to the semis.
Having recently opened overlooking tourist hotspot Leicester Square, the boutique Hotel Indigo offers a panoramic view of the square’s bustling crowds and the selection of street performers competing for their attention. However, football has taken centre stage this month, with Hotel Indigo showcasing many of the World Cup matches.
On such a momentous day for English football, England vs Croatia isn’t one to miss. However, if you would rather skip on a sea of rowdy football fans, this might be the place to head this evening.
Read more: World Cup VAR: the football revolution or the end of the beautiful game?
