NJ city making special change to allow bars to serve at 5 in the morning

⚽ A second vote will ensure Hoboken bars can open early for the World Cup games

⚽ Participating bars will have to pay a $100 fee

⚽ The games are being played in Australia and New Zealand which is 14 hours ahead

HOBOKEN — Fans will be able to toast their team's success during the World Cup no matter the time following a City Council vote.

The Hoboken city council unanimously fast-tracked an ordinance Wednesday that will allow bars and restaurants to serve alcohol at 5 a.m. during the men's and women's World Cup games. The ordinance will not be in place on Thursday, July 20 when play begins in Auckland, New Zealand on July 20 at 3 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

A special council meeting will be held July 24 to give the ordinance a second reading and a final vote.

All the Cup games are being played in Australia and New Zealand which is 14 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight time. The tournament runs until August 20.

Businesses that participate can only have the game on indoors before 10 a.m. No music will be allowed to be played. Participating restaurants will have to pay a $100 fee as an acknowledgment of the rules in place under the ordinance.

The Madhatter bar will be one of the bars open before the sun comes up to accommodate fans. Manager Rodalfo Carrera told Fox 5 New York they can handle it and is confident they'll have the crowds.

The City Council adopted a similar ordinance in 2022 to allow 8 a.m. openings when the World Cup took place in Qatar.

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia will host World Cup games in 2026.

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