Why we're not showing England v Croatia

11 July 2018

Following a planning meeting at the beginning of the year we decided not to show the 2018 World Cup on the Big Screen. We had some big city events already booked in Millennium Square which meant we couldn’t commit to showing every game. Following previous advice about event licensing and safety we felt that as a charity we couldn’t commit resource to the level of security and event infrastructure required to make it a safe and enjoyable event. We have been reviewing this as the tournament progressed.

Given the England team’s outstanding performance, the glorious weather and the feedback from fans we have been looking into showing the semi-final and have been in consultation with Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council to assess whether this would be possible.

We can confirm we will not be showing the semi-final match today. 

We completely support the England team and as Bristol’s outdoor screen we would love for Millennium Square to be the family-friendly place to watch this momentous match.

However given that we have never screened the football before and taking into account the advice we’ve received, the incredibly short planning time and the level of interest, we don’t have the resources to deliver this safely.

If you are looking for places to watch tonight's match check out this article from Bristol 24/7

We wish the England team the best of luck – come on England! It’s coming home!