With Wembley Stadium looming as the likely host, Yankee Scores looks at why this mega-fight is currently missing its headline act.

The British pop star Dua Lipa is unlikely to headline the big fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury at the end of this year.

The Main Event

Joshua, aged 36, and Fury, 37, the two British boxing legends, have come to terms to stage an all-British showdown in the latter half of 2026.

However, Turki Al-Sheikh, who heads the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, said the bout could be in danger if the pop artist Dua Lipa refused to take part in the boxing promotion.

Declined Offer

It may well have been a joke on his part, but according to sources cited by the BBC Sport, the pop artist was approached by the organizers, but she turned down the offer.

With her massive success as a pop artist globally, Dua Lipa has some of the biggest hits of all time, including ‘New Rules,’ ‘Don’t Start Now,’ and ‘Levitating.’

The venue for the upcoming boxing match between Fury and Joshua has still to be decided, but Wembley Stadium in October looks like a favorite with the organizing team.

When Boxing Meets Music

Music concerts have been common at big boxing matches lately. As one example, rapper Eminem was in the ring for Terence Crawford’s welterweight world championship fight against Errol Spence Jr. at the Wembley Stadium.

Singer Liam Gallagher from the band Oasis played at the venue where Daniel Dubois fought Anthony Joshua and won in 2024, while rapper 50 Cent recently entertained fans during the ring walk of Chris Eubank Jr’s rematch with Conor Benn.