Fury vs Joshua start time: 1am ring walks hinge on 25 November Cardiff licence ruling

What time is Fury vs Joshua, and is the Cardiff licence approved?

Fury vs Joshua is due on Friday 11 December 2026 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, live on Netflix, with ring walks planned for about 1am on Saturday 12 December. As of 14 November no licensing decision has been reported. Cardiff Council's licensing sub-committee meets on 25 November to rule on extending boxing from 1am to 3am.

The timing matters because the stadium's current licence stops boxing at 1am when the roof is closed. The extra two hours would let a main event that is timed for US prime time finish inside the building's licensed hours. Here is what has been confirmed, what is still open and what it means for UK viewers.

What has Principality Stadium applied for?

The stadium operator, Millennium Stadium plc, has asked Cardiff Council for a temporary variation of its premises licence, which it describes as for a "very limited one-off occasion", according to the Press Association report published by the Irish Examiner. The application covers:

• Boxing entertainment permitted until 3am on 12 December, instead of 1am.
• Recorded music, late-night refreshments and alcohol sales until 3am.
• The stadium staying open until 3.30am.

BBC Wales reports that the stadium normally operates a 01:00 curfew with its roof closed, and that the fight is expected to finish around 03:00 GMT on 12 December. Herald.Wales adds that the roof would stay closed throughout, extra security and stewarding would be put in place, and a short live music performance would come immediately before the ring walks.

When is the licensing decision?

Cardiff Council's licensing sub-committee is due to consider the application on 25 November 2026, according to BBC Wales. Public comments and objections closed on 3 November, after a 28-day notice period.

Under the process described by the Press Association via Nation.Cymru, the council must grant a variation if no relevant representations are received. Because objections were lodged, a hearing is needed. BBC Wales says the sub-committee can modify the conditions of the licence or reject the whole or part of the application.

I searched for reports of an outcome or any change to the plan on 14 November and found none. The most recent coverage I could open is dated 10 and 11 November.

What are the objections?

According to BBC Wales, the council received objections citing anti-social behaviour, noise, traffic and public safety. The detail reported so far:

• Three respondents asked for the application to be rejected. One resident with young children described the likely late finish as "absolute chaos" for people living nearby.
• One resident living opposite the stadium supports the event but wants conditions: a dispersal plan with stewards until crowds clear, no amplified music outside after midnight, and street cleaning finished by 08:00 on 12 December.
• Other respondents backed the licence, citing a boost to city businesses and more visitors, particularly from the US.

The Mirror reported on 10 November that the fight may not go ahead because of the objections, and quoted one resident asking the council to refuse the application in its current form.

Could the fight really be cancelled?

The risk is real but its size is unclear. On 24 September, the Press Association reported that the bout could be blocked if the council did not agree the late start. The Welsh Rugby Union, which owns the stadium, said the event could only go ahead if the licence is changed. Council leader Chris Weaver said some arrangements were still to be finalised with the organisers.

Since then the planned timing has moved from an expected 2am start to a 1am ring walk, and the application now asks for boxing until 3am. No source I opened says what the organisers would do if the sub-committee refused outright.

Analysis: a flat refusal looks less likely than a decision with conditions. The sub-committee has the option to modify conditions, and the one supportive resident has already set out what such conditions might look like: dispersal plans, outdoor noise limits and a clean-up deadline. That is our reading of the process, not a prediction, and nobody has said how the committee will vote.

Why is the start time so late?

The late timing is aimed at the United States. BBC Wales says the schedule is designed to align with US prime-time viewing, and that Wembley was ruled out in part because of a 23:00 curfew, given Netflix's preference for US prime time. The fight went to Cardiff after Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn insisted on their contractual right to stage it in Britain.

There is a precedent in Cardiff: BBC Wales notes that Joe Calzaghe's 2007 fight against Mikkel Kessler started at 02:00 local time for the US broadcaster Showtime.

How can I watch, and what is on the card?

Netflix says the event streams live globally on Friday 11 December 2026 from Principality Stadium, at no additional cost to members. Its page lists three undercard bouts:

Bout	Source
Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia	Netflix
Martin Bakole vs Solomon Adebayo	Netflix
Da'Mazion Vanhouter vs Michael Essomba	Netflix

Netflix's page does not give a start time or ring walk time, and tells readers to check back. The roughly 1am ring walk comes from the licence application as reported by the Irish Examiner and BBC Wales, so treat it as planned rather than final until the licence is settled. Exact undercard start times have not been published in anything I could verify.

What should fans do now?

• Keep Friday 11 December and the early hours of Saturday 12 December free, and do not book travel on the assumption of a fixed time yet.
• Watch for the sub-committee outcome on 25 November, which is the next confirmed milestone.
• Check Netflix for the confirmed schedule closer to the date.

Sources

• Irish Examiner / Press Association: Cardiff council asked to approve 1am Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua ring walk
• BBC Wales via AOL: Fury v Joshua fight faces objections over 3am finish
• BBC Wales via Yahoo: Joshua v Fury fight faces objections over 3am finish
• Mirror via AOL UK: Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury could be cancelled after late objections
• Nation.Cymru / Press Association: Fight at risk if council fails to agree 2am start
• Herald.Wales: Principality Stadium could stay open until 3.30am for boxing showdown
• Netflix Tudum: Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua live on Netflix