Pubs and restaurants in many Swiss cantons and cities will be allowed to stay open all night on Saturday to let football fans watch the World Cup quarter-final between Switzerland and Argentina, which kicks off at 3am local time (0100GMT) on Sunday morning.
Geneva leads with unrestricted hours
In Geneva, the cantonal authorities announced in a press release that all public establishments in the cafe-restaurant and bar categories could open “without time restrictions during the night of July 11 to 12 and to show the match.” This exceptional waiver allows fans to gather and watch the game live, despite the early morning kick-off.
Historic quarter-final appearance
Switzerland have qualified for the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 1954. They face Lionel Messi’s much-fancied Argentina, the reigning world champions, overnight in Kansas City. For the Nati, as the Swiss team is known, it is a chance to avenge the shattered dream of the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, when Argentina won at the very end of extra-time.
Other cantons follow suit
According to the ATS-Keystone agency, the cantons of Jura and Bern have granted a similar exceptional waiver for public establishments. The curfew has also been lifted in a number of other cities including Lausanne, Sion and Sierre, while Zurich has granted a “Freinacht” (“sleepless night”) in indoor restaurants and bars. The canton of Basel-Landschaft has likewise “authorized extended opening hours for restaurants and bars, including those operating temporarily as part of the World Cup,” until 6am local time on Sunday.
