Late night and 'full throttle' - the World Cup watch parties going all out

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is nearly here, and fans will soon be crowding into bars and settling on to sofas to cheer on their teams.

But those aren't the only places to soak up the action - we've rounded up some other fun locations where you can catch a match.

Through stained-glass windows you can peer into the Victoria Baths and see the faded grandeur of a public pool Mancunians enjoyed for nearly a century - but you won't see any water in it now. Instead, you'll find a massive screen and booming speakers towering over the far end of the empty pool - its sloping floor ensuring a good view for those at the back.

There'll be a long bar in the next room and food trucks in the car park just outside. Round the corner, a pop-up goal. Flags will be draped from the mezzanine balconies with DJs on the decks.

Victory at the Baths promises to have it all - as long as everything goes to plan for organiser Jack Nunes before England's first match on 17 June. He only came up with the idea a couple of months ago, after chatting to a mate with whom he plays 11-a-side.

"We don't have the experience but we have the enthusiasm," he tells me.

Jack thinks he can fit 500 people into the Victorian building, with plenty of space for everyone - but there's a lot to think about.

"I've had to sort a huge carpet for the swimming pool, which is around 170 metres squared." Why? "Well, hopefully, when Tommy Tuchel's brave boys put seven past Brazil, there'll be lots of beer flying everywhere - but the minute you spill liquid in there... it becomes like an ice rink."

Speaking of beer, Jack has sorted deals with Jubel and the Manchester Union Brewery. As for the food, he's got local traders lined up.

As the afternoon sunshine pours in through a stained-glass window, it illuminates a century-old design of a man dribbling a football across a pitch.

"Watching England games here, it's almost as if it's meant to be."

How much? Tickets are £10, but discounts are available for groups

This kind of logistical challenge is something Mark Graham has decades of experience to fall back on. He worked in music festivals and events for 25 years before striking success with football fan parks.

His first events were for the Euros in 2021, including a watch party at another historic venue: Hastings Pier.

The South Coast attraction was one of three locations his company 4TheFans used for the tournament, selling 12,000 tickets for their Euro screenings.

The company has since grown to 15 venues across England and Scotland where people can watch this year's World Cup - from Aberdeen to Bournemout