Bollywood's IIFA Awards in Abu Dhabi postponed until May

The prestigious event was due to take place at Etihad Arena next month

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The International Indian Film Academy Awards, Bollywood’s biggest annual event, has delayed its return to Abu Dhabi.

The prestigious ceremony was set to return to Etihad Arena next month, but has now been postponed until late May. No details about the reason were given. However, Etihad Arena’s Instagram account posted information for those who have already purchased their tickets.

“All customers with existing tickets will receive revised tickets for the new dates automatically. Existing ticket holders can also request a refund by emailing their request to the respective ticketing platform, from which the purchase was made within 10 working days," the post reads.

“All refunds will then be processed accordingly. Tickets will continue to be on sale for the new dates with immediate effect at etihadarena.ae.”

Scroll through the gallery above to see photos from the 2022 IIFA Awards in Abu Dhabi

Last year, the IIFA Awards were held for the first time in Abu Dhabi and included some of Bollywood’s most famous faces, such as Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Vicky Kaushal, Tiger Shroff and A R Rahman.

The IIFA Weekend & Awards also featured performances by some of the biggest Indian stars across two days, with many of the top films and actors of the past year honoured on the final night.

First held in London in 2000, the IIFA Awards were conceptualised by Mumbai event company Wizcraft International Entertainment to honour the best Hindi films and movie talents of the previous year. It is held in a different country every year, and has been instrumental in boosting Bollywood's popularity globally.

Dubai hosted the event in 2006, and so has Bangkok, New York, Colombo, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florida, Kuala Lumpur and Macau.

"Over the last 21 years, the IIFA has not only given Indian cinema an international platform, but it has created a wonderful opportunity to take us to our fans and connect millions of people globally," host Khan said at last year's event.

Scroll through the gallery for pictures of Bollywood stars on the 2022 IIFA Rocks green carpet

Updated: January 06, 2023, 1:08 PM