One report says tournament-related spending in Boston reached $83m between 12 June and 30 June, with an estimated $1.5m in tax revenue.
That split matters. Big football tournaments do not just fill hotel rooms and public squares; they often concentrate spending in the places where fans gather late, sing loudly and stay out together. The Tartan Army has long carried that reputation, and Boston seems to have leaned into it.
The same report says more than 100 businesses extended operating hours after 211 venues were approved for a 3am last call through 31 July. In a city where bars usually stop serving earlier, that is a serious policy trial, not a novelty.
Wu has argued that later opening may have eased the closing-time crush, with customers able to spread out food and drink orders instead of rushing for one final round. Critics are not sold. The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association has opposed a permanent 3am closing time, while Michael Nichols is reported to have argued that later MBTA service would be essential if the idea is to work safely.
There is also a cultural layer here. Reports suggest the visit helped deepen ties between Boston and Glasgow, underlining how major tournaments can leave a civic legacy as well as a sporting memory.
The football will move on quickly. The more interesting next fixture may be at City Hall, where officials now have to decide whether a summer shaped by Scotland fans was a one-off boom or the blueprint for a different late-night Boston.