Postponed for a year due to the pandemic, the Euro 2020 football tournament is this year be held in 11 different European cities with limited crowds inside stadiums.

None of the host cities are in France, due to the fact Euro2016 took place entirely in France.

Assuming, then, that most fans will not be travelling to see the games, what are the rules on watching them in public places in order to soak up the atmosphere (and some beer)?

Curfew

France is still under an 11pm curfew, which is a bit of a problem for matches that start at 9pm, such as Tuesday’s France v Germany game.

Tennis fans watching a particularly tense men’s semi final at the French Open were given a special dispensation to stay out after curfew, but the government has said there will be no more exemptions.

However Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has told the police to “show particular restraint” when dealing with fans making their way home after the match.

If the health situation permits, the curfew will be scrapped on June 30th, so the quarter-finals onwards will be curfew-free.

Bars and cafés

Bars, cafés or restaurants who want to screen the matches to customers are allowed to do so, but have to stick to the normal rules health rules.

• On terraces and outdoor spaces 100 percent of the usual capacity can be filled, but all customers must be seated, so there is no option to stand and watch the game
• Indoors only 50 percent of normal capacity can be filled, and again all customers must be seated. There is no option for bar service
• Indoors and outdoors there is a maximum of 6 per table, so you will need to choose your best football-pals to watch with
• The standard rules on masks and physical distancing apply, masks should be worn when you leave your table and go to the toilet

Fan zones

Fan zones are authorised in cities across France, but they must follow the usual rules of public gatherings

• A maximum customer number of 65 percent of the venue’s normal capacity up to a maximum of 5,000 people
• Seated viewing only
• Covid-19 health passes required for any fan zone that has more than 1,000 people

Many of the larger cities have decided not to have fan zones for the early stages of the tournament, but may introduce them after June 30th when some of the current health rules are due to be relaxed.

Public gatherings

Remember, officially there is still a limit of 10 people at “non-authorised” public gatherings, so if you organise your own viewing party in a public place you could run into trouble with the police. 

Private gatherings

There is no limit on the number of people allowed at gatherings in private dwellings (apart from the size of your garden or living room) but people are still advised to keep gatherings small and maintain physical distancing