British pubs see record sales surge in March 2026 thanks to sun and St Patrick's Day
British pubs and bars have recorded their strongest sales week of 2026 so far. The period ending Saturday 21 March saw a 6.4% rise in revenue compared to the same week in 2025. Warmer weather and public celebrations played a key role in the boost. The week began with a sharp increase on Tuesday 17 March, as St Patrick's Day celebrations pushed sales up by 51.5% over the same day in 2025. Sunny conditions on Wednesday 18 March then drove a 22.8% jump in revenue.
Higher temperatures continued to lift spending later in the week. Average sales climbed 4.8% on Friday 20 March and 9.4% on Saturday 21 March. Across the full week, managed venues outperformed inflation, with wine, beer, cider, and soft drinks all showing strong growth.
The results mark a turnaround from the previous week, when wet and grey weather led to a 2.7% drop in sales compared to 2025. Earlier modest gains had come from Mother's Day and the final round of rugby's Six Nations fixtures.
Rachel Weller, commercial lead for CGA by NIQ in the UK and Ireland, pointed to the combination of better weather and public occasions as the main drivers of the surge. The figures come from the Daily Drinks Tracker, which monitors sales at licensed premises across Britain. The latest data confirms the week ending 21 March as the highest-performing of 2026 to date. Both seasonal conditions and special events contributed to the rise in spending. Analysts will watch whether this trend continues in the coming weeks.
