Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are due to meet at the Principality Stadium on 11 December, but the fight would end well after midnight if Cardiff Council approves an extension to the venue’s licence.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are expected to make their ring walks at around 1am in Cardiff on 12 December, subject to the city council approving a licence extension for the Principality Stadium. The heavyweight contest is officially scheduled for 11 December, but an application from Millennium Stadium plc shows the main event would take place in the early hours of the following morning. The late start would coincide with peak viewing time in the United States.
What the stadium has asked for
According to the application to Cardiff Council, the stadium wants to push back the permitted hours for boxing and wrestling entertainment on 12 December from the current 1am cut-off to 3am. A council spokesperson said the change was “to facilitate the proposed Anthony Joshua v Tyson Fury bout, with the ring walk commencing at 0100”.
The variation would also allow live music on the same date, with a short performance immediately before the fighters emerge. Recorded music, late-night refreshment and the sale of alcohol would be permitted until 3am, and the stadium’s closing time would move to 3.30am.
Millennium Stadium plc has described the request as applying to “a very limited one-off occasion” rather than a lasting change. The applicants added that the roof will remain closed throughout the event and that enhanced security and stewarding arrangements will be in place.
Public comment period
Applications to vary a premises licence must be advertised for 28 consecutive days, including through a notice displayed at the premises. Members of the public and other authorities can object to the application, or submit comments in support, until 3 November.
If no relevant representations are received, the council must grant the application. If objections are lodged, a council hearing will be held to consider them. That process could result in changes to the licence conditions, or the application could be refused altogether.
Cardiff Council’s position
When the fight was announced last month, council leader Chris Weaver said the contest had “the potential to bring significant economic benefits to the city and attract visitors from across the UK and beyond”.
“Major events provide a welcome boost for local businesses, support jobs and showcase Cardiff to a global audience,” he said. He added that some arrangements were still to be finalised with the organisers, including any required changes to the stadium’s premises licence, but that the council was “looking forward to welcoming fans to the city for what promises to be an unforgettable night of boxing”.
The timing and the fight
The unusual schedule is designed to suit American television audiences. Saudi Arabia’s boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, his American business partner Dana White and Netflix had originally pushed for New York’s Madison Square Garden as the venue before Cardiff was announced. The fight is expected to be shown live on Netflix.
The bout is for the vacant WBA heavyweight title, which became available after Oleksandr Usyk decided to vacate it. Fury and Joshua, who have both previously held world heavyweight titles, have never fought each other professionally, despite negotiations and speculation over the matchup lasting almost a decade.
The Principality Stadium can hold around 80,000 spectators. Tickets and hospitality packages are due to go on sale at noon UK time on 9 October.
