Dua Lipa Declines Turki Al-Sheikh Offer To Perform at Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua

Pop star Dua Lipa has declined an offer to perform at the heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury later this year, with BBC Sport saying she is “not expected to be involved in the event.”

“- Published Pop star Dua Lipa is not expected to perform at the heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury later this year”

BBC

The BBC reports that Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh had suggested the fight could be “jeopardised if Dua Lipa did not agree to perform as part of the event's promotion,” though it was unclear whether the remark was made “in earnest or in jest.”

BBC

Metro.co.uk likewise says Al-Sheikh, described as “boxing’s influential power broker,” has hinted the show could land in London and that “it is unclear how serious that ultimatum is,” but that the “Levitating” hitmaker “has declined an offer to be involved after an approach and is not expected to be involved.”

The Independent frames the same development as Dua Lipa “reportedly declined an offer to perform at the super-fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua later this year,” adding that Sky Sports reported Al-Sheikh had threatened to pull the plug if she would not take part.

The Mirror similarly states that “Saudi boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh had said Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua would only end their decade-long rivalry if the singer performed before they walked to the ring,” before noting that “according to the BBC, the singer declined the opportunity when asked.”

Across the coverage, the refusal becomes the most visible entertainment obstacle to a fight that Joshua and Fury have “agreed terms” for, with the BBC saying the all-British contest is “targeted for the end of 2026.”

While the entertainment programming is now in question, the underlying boxing deal has moved forward: Metro.co.uk says Joshua and Fury “this week agreed terms and signed contracts for a Battle of Britain,” and the BBC reports that “Britons Joshua, 36, and Fury, 37, have agreed terms for a long-awaited all-British contest targeted for the end of 2026.”

The Independent adds that “no date or location was confirmed” for the all-British heavyweight clash even after the contract signing, and it points to a separate scheduled fight for Joshua.

https

In the BBC’s account, “a venue for Fury v Joshua has yet to be finalised,” but “Wembley Stadium in October is understood to be the preferred option for organisers,” while Metro.co.uk says Turki Al-Sheikh “has hinted it could land in London.”

The Mirror also keeps Wembley as the leading candidate, stating “Wembley remains the frontunner,” even as it notes that “a venue for the showdown has still to be announced.”

The Independent’s timeline is more specific about Joshua’s next step, saying “AJ”, 36, will box relative unknown Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on 25 July, before fighting Fury later in 2026.

BBC coverage likewise says Joshua must first come through “his scheduled fight against Kristian Prenga on 25 July in Saudi Arabia,” and it describes Fury’s recent return as “a win over Arslanbek Makhmudov last month.”

The fight’s scheduling is complicated by warm-up bouts and by the possibility that a Joshua loss could derail the matchup.

“Dua Lipa has rejected an offer to perform at the heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury later this year”

Metro.co.uk

The Independent says Fury “also wants a warm-up bout,” despite having competed “just three weeks ago,” when he “eased past Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium,” and it notes that Joshua’s July opponent is Kristian Prenga.

Metro.co.uk similarly says Joshua must come through “a warm-up bout against the little-known Kirstian Prenga in July,” and it adds that Fury “could also take another tune-up bout in the summer,” according to his promoter Frank Warren.

The Mirror emphasizes that Fury “has instructed his team to arrange another warm-up fight before he faces Joshua,” while also describing a separate obstacle: Joshua’s July tune-up against Kristian Prenga, which Queensberry promoter Frank Warren suggested could “kill” any contest with Fury later in 2026 if an upset occurred.

The Mirror quotes Warren saying, “If he loses to this guy, it kills the fight,” and it also includes Warren’s explanation of the warm-up logic: “I think he will probably want to be doing something in between, let’s see,” followed by “AJ has got his fight. Tyson, I’m quite sure, will have a fight in between. That’s what he’s asking for and we’ll see where we go from there.”

In the BBC’s account, Warren’s role is central to the consequences, stating that “Queensberry promoter Frank Warren, who guides Fury, said a loss for Joshua in July would likely scupper a fight with the Gypsy King.”

The refusal by Dua Lipa lands in a context where music has already been integrated into major boxing nights tied to Saudi involvement.

Metro.co.uk points to Liam Gallagher performing at Wembley Stadium before Joshua’s 2024 world title fight with Daniel Dubois, and it adds that Eminem appeared as a special guest artist for Terence Crawford’s fight the same year with Busta Rhymes on stage before the undisputed bout between Arthur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

The Independent

Metro.co.uk also says “50 Cent meanwhile joined Chris Eubank Jr for an iconic ringwalk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of his rematch with Conor Benn last November.”

The Independent likewise cites that “Eminem performed a set before Terence Crawford beat Israil Madrimov in 2024,” and it adds that “later that year, Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher did the same before Joshua was stopped by Daniel Dubois.”

The BBC offers a parallel list, saying that “Rapper Eminem accompanied Terence Crawford to the ring for his welterweight championship fight against Errol Spence Jr.,” that “Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher performed several songs before Daniel Dubois' win over Anthony Joshua at Wembley in 2024,” and that “last year, 50 Cent performed during Chris Eubank Jr's ringwalk for his rematch with Conor Benn.”

The Mirror’s account ties the entertainment demand directly to the fight’s viability, stating that Al-Sheikh had said Fury and Joshua would only fight if Dua Lipa performed before they walked to the ring.

The next steps for the Joshua-Fury project hinge on both the boxing schedule and the search for a musical replacement, with the BBC saying “a venue for Fury v Joshua has yet to be finalised” even as it points to Wembley in October as preferred.

“Dua Lipa REJECTS Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight request Saudi boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh had said Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua would only fight if Dua Lipa performed before the fight Pop star Dua Lipa has rejected the chance to perform before Anthony Joshua takes on Tyson Fury”

The Mirror

The BBC reports that “Dua Lipa is one of the world's most successful pop artists” and that she was approached but declined, leaving organisers to proceed without her while still aiming for a fight “targeted for the end of 2026.”

The Mirror

Metro.co.uk adds that a date and venue are still to be confirmed and that Al-Sheikh has hinted it could land in London, while also noting that Joshua’s ring return is tied to his December victory over Jake Paul and the subsequent fatal car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami.

The Independent and Mirror both stress that Joshua’s July 25 bout against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia must come first, and the BBC likewise says Joshua must “first come through” that fight before Fury v Joshua can take place.

The BBC also frames the stakes in terms of career earnings and the long history of failed attempts, saying that “both men are expected to earn a career-high payday” if the fight goes ahead as planned.

At the same time, the sources describe a conditionality around the matchup itself: the Mirror quotes Warren that “If he loses to this guy, it kills the fight,” and the BBC says Warren believes “a loss for Joshua in July would likely scupper a fight with the Gypsy King.”