Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor are among the celebrities heading to Abu Dhabi when the International Indian Film Academy Awards return to the UAE capital in January.
Popularly known as the IIFA Awards, the event will take place over two days on January 22 and 23 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, marking the fourth time Abu Dhabi has hosted the ceremony.
Other confirmed stars include Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal, as well as director-producer Karan Johar, although organisers have yet to reveal who will host, perform or present awards.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am UAE time on Friday.
The announcement confirms IIFA's return to Abu Dhabi after organisers teased the destination on social media this week.
The 27th ceremony will once again be held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Miral.
IIFA first came to Abu Dhabi in 2022 and returned in 2023 and 2024, making the capital the event's longest-running recent home.
The 2024 event expanded into a three-day celebration at Etihad Arena, bringing together stars from across India's film industries. Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar and Vicky Kaushal hosted the main awards, while the weekend also included IIFA Utsavam, celebrating the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada film industries, and IIFA Rocks, dedicated to music and fashion.
The awards moved to Jaipur in 2025 for IIFA's 25th-anniversary celebrations. The location and dates for this year's IIFA Awards have yet to be confirmed.
“Returning to Abu Dhabi for our fourth showcase is incredibly special,” said Andre Timmins, founder and director of IIFA Weekend & Awards. “This IIFA, we want to raise that bar again, bigger stars, bigger experiences, deeper fan engagement and a celebration that reaches far beyond the arena.”
Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, director general for tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said IIFA's return reflected the emirate's relationship with India and its ambitions as an entertainment destination.
“IIFA is one of the world’s most influential celebrations of Indian cinema, and its return to Abu Dhabi reflects the strength of our long-standing relationship with India and reinforces Abu Dhabi’s growing profile as a leading global destination for entertainment and culture,” he said.
What are the IIFA Awards?
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Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan opens the IIFA Awards 2024 in Abu Dhabi. All photos: IIFA -
Khan co-hosted the event along with director Karan Johar and actor Vicky Kaushal -
Bollywood lyricists Siddharth Singh and Garima Wahal won Best Lyrics for the film Animal at the IIFA Awards 2024. -
Shahid Kapoor performs -
Bollywood actress Ananya Panday on stage -
Karan Johar, centre, being honoured for completing 25 years in the Hindi film industry -
Acclaimed actress Shabana Azmi with her Best Performances in a Supporting Role (female) award for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani -
Anil Kapoor with his award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Male) for the film Animal -
Bollywood actress and singer Nora Fatehi performs -
Bobby Deol with his IIFA award for Best Performance in a Negative Role for his role in Animal -
Actress Kriti Sanon performed retro Bollywood hits -
Alizeh Agnihotri with her IIFA Award for Debutant of the Year (female) for her role in Farrey -
Rani Mukerji with her IIFA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (female) for her role in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway -
Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra with his Best Director award for 12th Fail -
Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal makes a grand entry for his performance -
Veteran actor Rekha performs
The IIFA Awards celebrate the best of Hindi cinema, while its sister event, IIFA Utsavam, recognises achievements across the South Indian film industries, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema.
First held in London in 2000, the IIFA Awards were created to celebrate Hindi cinema on an international stage and traditionally moved to a different destination each year.
Previous host cities included Dubai, Bangkok, New York, Amsterdam, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur and Macau. Dubai hosted the ceremony in 2006 before Abu Dhabi began its three-year run in 2022.
Tickets for IIFA 2027 will go on sale at 10am UAE time on September 18, through Etihad Arena's website
