Dua Lipa receives striking claim from Arab millionaire Turki Alalshikh for turning down offer
The pop star’s absence became an unexpected talking point during the launch of Fury-Joshua fight
Turki Alalshikh used the launch of Tyson Fury ’s long-awaited fight with Anthony Joshua to confirm that Dua Lipa had been approached about performing, then went further by questioning the reason behind her refusal.
The Riyadh Season chairman was explaining why the fight will take place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff rather than London when the conversation turned unexpectedly toward the British-Albanian singer.
“I will be honest today,” Alalshikh said. “I know that London wouldn’t give me the stadium until 2am, and I know that Dua Lipa will not perform in the stadium because she doesn’t like boxing, and maybe she doesn’t like me…”
After somebody in the room responded, Alalshikh added: “No, I think she has something with the Arab. And, you know, it is my blood. I cannot change it.”
Dua Lipa part of Alalshikh’s plans for months
The comments didn't come completely out of nowhere. Alalshikh had previously expressed interest in having Dua Lipa perform around Fury-Joshua , with reports earlier this year suggesting her involvement was part of his vision for staging the fight in London.
That would have followed a familiar pattern for Riyadh Season-backed boxing events, where major fights have increasingly been paired with high-profile musical performances.
Eminem performed during the 2024 card featuring Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles, while other major artists have also been used to add spectacle around headline boxing events.
Dua Lipa would hardly have been entering unfamiliar territory. She has performed around major sporting occasions before, including the 2018 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, and entertainment connected to the Singapore Grand Prix.
Her decision not to appear in Cardiff has therefore become a secondary storyline around an event that already carries enormous attention.
Fury and Joshua move closer to settling argument
The bigger story remains the fight itself. Fury and Joshua have been linked with facing one another for the best part of a decade, only for negotiations to repeatedly collapse.
Both men are now in the later stages of their careers, adding urgency to a contest many feared might never happen.
“I’m gonna come out and blast him out of there,” Fury said at the press conference. “It will be a gunfight. The best man’s gonna win.”
Joshua struck a similarly determined tone: “I’m willing to take and take punch after punch and keep moving forward until my hand’s raised,” he said.
Alalshikh also acknowledged the financial compromises involved in staging the fight in Britain, saying the decision could cost organizers tens of millions of dollars compared with other locations.
That context helps explain some of his frustration around the event’s planning. His remarks about Dua Lipa , however, have ensured that the entertainment discussion has become its own headline.
Once Fury and Joshua enter the ring, that distraction will likely fade quickly. Until then, Alalshikh ’s comments have added another unexpected layer to a fight already surrounded by years of drama.
