Etihad Arena hosts Bollywood’s biggest stars for IIFA Awards 2023 in Abu Dhabi

Image: IIFA

The 23rd edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards is set to take place at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on May 26-27, 2023.

The awards are being held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Miral at the Etihad Arena for the second year in a row. The awards are produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment and sponsored by Sobha Realty and Nexa by Maruti Suzuki.

It’s IIFA season! Say YASSSS to island wide performances at @yasisland with song, dance and more in true bollywood style??
Who’s joining the IIFA award festivities #inAbuDhabi? pic.twitter.com/b6NjZzRr4k

— Etihad Airways (@etihad) May 23, 2023

Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Geziry, director-general of tourism, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “We are pleased to host the IIFA Awards once again in Abu Dhabi since it marks a significant turning point for our dynamic entertainment calendar. Our relationship with India, which is based on shared cultural and economic interests, has been boosted even further by the fact that Abu Dhabi has served as the setting for a number of Bollywood blockbusters, allowing people all over the world to learn about our stunning country.” Noreen Khan, vice president of IIFA, said she appreciated the support extended by the teams at DCT Abu Dhabi and Miral.

IIFA Awards two-day schedule

The IIFA Awards are spread over two days. Tickets are available for purchase on the Etihad arena website.

✨ Lights, Camera, Action! ✨
Get ready for an unforgettable night as the @IIFA Awards take over @etihadarena_ae for a star-studded extravaganza celebrating Bollywood.

Enjoy action packed performances, and celebrate legendary moments that define Indian cinema right here in… pic.twitter.com/gOEs4mwsXp

— Etihad Airways (@etihad) May 26, 2023

The first day’s schedule will see a flashmob performance by Anya Dance Academy outside the Etihad Arena on Friday, May 26. This will be followed by IIFA Rocks which will celebrate Indian music, dance and fashion, with film producer Farah Khan and actor Rajkummar Rao as hosts. Singers such as Amit Trivedi, Badshah, Sunidhi Chauhan, Nucleya, Sukhbir Singh are part of the evening’s entertainment line-up.

The event finale – IIFA Awards Gala will held on Saturday, May 27.  The gala night will be hosted by Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal. The night will see performances by Bollywood superstars Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Nora Fatehi, and Rakul Preet Singh.

Awards recognise ‘outstanding’ talent

This year veteran actor Kamal Haasan will be felicitated with the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema award’. Actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza will be awarded for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Regional Cinema’ and Designer Manish Malhotra will be honoured for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Fashion in Cinema’. The awards will feature an exclusive showcase by the designer, who is celebrating 25 years in the fashion industry.

The line-up of Bollywood stars and big-wigs who are expected to attend the event include Alia Bhatt, Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor, Bhushan Kumar, R Madhavan, Sunny Kaushal, Mouni Roy, Esha Gupta, Mrunal Thakur, Dia Mirza, Raashii Khanna, Sheeba Chaddha, Neelam Kothari, Bhavna Pandey, Maheep Kapoor, Seema Sajdeh, Ramesh Taurani, among others.

Taghrid Alsaeed, executive director of group communication and destination marketing, Miral, said, “We are honoured to once again host the IIFA Awards 2023 on Yas Island. This exceptional event, set to unite remarkable movie stars on the island, further reinforces our commitment to positioning Yas Island as a global destination for leisure and entertainment.”

The IIFA awards have traveled the globe with cities such as London, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Singapore, Toronto, New Jersey playing host to the multi-day celebration of Indian cinema.