Celebrities and performers for the International Indian Film Academy Awards have started to arrive on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for a weekend of celebrations.
The event will begin with IIFA Rocks on Friday, a night dedicated to music and fashion.
The IIFA Awards, which honours the best Hindi films and talents of the previous year, is usually held over a number of days, with a gala awards night as the finale, which will be on Saturday this year.
Etihad Arena will host both the shows, but properties across Yas Island are already abuzz with activity. Bollywood director Farah Khan Kunder and actor Aparshakti Khurana, who will host IIFA Rocks, were photographed outside the W Abu Dhabi — Yas Island, the official celebrity hotel for the weekend.
Scroll through the gallery below for pictures from rehearsals at the Etihad Arena:
-
Rehearsals are underway for the International Indian Film Academy Awards at the Etihad Arena, Yas Island. All photos: IIFA 2022 -
Shahid Kapoor said his performance will include a tribute to singer and composer Bappi Lahiri, who died in February. -
Bollywood star Tiger Shroff rehearses on stage at the Etihad Arena. -
Tiger Shroff is known for his dance moves and action films. -
Tiger Shroff is one of the star performers at the IIFA Awards 2022 in Abu Dhabi on June 4. -
The IIFA stage being built. -
Performers on stage preparing for Saturday's ceremony. -
The IIFA Awards honour the best Bollywood films and talents from the previous year. -
Abu Dhabi is hosting the IIFA Awards for the first time. Dubai played host to the event in 2006. -
Bollywood choreographer Sanjay Shetty supervises rehearsals at the Etihad Arena. -
Besides honouring the best films and talents, the evening will feature a number of performances by top Bollywood stars. -
The star-studded event will feature performances by some of the biggest Indian stars. -
Performers this year will include actors Tiger Shroff, Shahid Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday and Sara Ali Khan. -
The IIFA Awards are held in a different city every year. -
The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 owing to the coronavirus pandemic. -
Dancers practice their moves at the Etihad Arena. -
Choreographer Sanjay Shetty in action. -
The main awards will be handed out on the second night. -
Bollywood star Salman Khan will host the gala night on Saturday. He will be assisted by actors Riteish Deshmukh and Maniesh Paul. -
IIFA Rocks, the music and fashion night, will be hosted by director Farah Khan Kunder and actor Aparshakti Khurana. -
Performers for IIFA Rocks will include composers Devi Sri Prasad and Tanishk Bagchi, and singers Neha Kakkar, Asees Kaur, Ash King, Zahrah S Khan and Dhvani Bhanushali. -
A number of stars have also been confirmed to attend, including veteran actors Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Mithun Chakraborty. -
Preparations are on for a weekend of shows at Etihad Arena. -
Besides Abu Dhabi, IIFA Awards have been held in Dubai, Bangkok, New York, Colombo and Macau. -
IIFA Rocks will be held on Friday and the gala awards night on Saturday.
Performers announced so far for the night include composer and singer Devi Sri Prasad, music whizz Tanishk Bagchi and singers Neha Kakkar, Asees Kaur, Ash King, Zahrah S Khan and Dhvani Bhanushali. Punjabi pop star Guru Randhawa and rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh will also present their new collaboration track, Designer.
On Saturday, actors Tiger Shroff and Shahid Kapoor, who are both known for their high-energy stage presence, will share the stage with Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Sara Ali Khan, Divya Khosla Kumar and Nora Fatehi. Abhishek Bachchan was also added as a performer on Tuesday.
“IIFA is like family to me and it feels good to come back and perform. After being disconnected physically for more than two years, celebrations help us unite. I am excited for this reunion of the industry to be happening as the world gets together again. And I am looking forward to entertaining, meeting fans and connecting with them globally," Bachchan said.
Bachchan's wife, Aishwarya Rai will be a guest on the night along with other stars including veteran actors Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Mithun Chakraborty. They will be joined by Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Nargis Fakhri, Bobby Deol, Arjun Rampal, Sanya Malhotra, Urvashi Rautela and film producer Boney Kapoor.
Oscar winner A R Rahman will also attend the event, and so will actors Vicky Kaushal, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Fardeen Khan, Sohail Khan and Suniel Shetty. Director and producer Karan Johar, who was earlier meant to host IIFA Rocks before the event was rescheduled, will attend the awards night on Saturday.
Scroll through the gallery below for all the stars attending the IIFA Awards 2022 in Abu Dhabi.
-
Bollywood stars Tiger Shroff, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shahid Kapoor will attend the IIFA Awards 2022, to be held for the first time in Abu Dhabi. Photo: AFP and Getty Images -
Salman Khan will host the IIFA Awards 2022 on June 4 in Abu Dhabi. AFP -
Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh will co-host on the main night alongside Salman Khan. AFP -
Actor Tiger Shroff, who is known for his dance moves, will be one of the performers. AFP -
Shahid Kapoor will also perform. AFP -
Kartik Aaryan, who has hosted the IIFAs before, will be one of the performers in Abu Dhabi. Photo: IIFA -
Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan is scheduled to attend the big night in Abu Dhabi on June 4. AFP -
Ananya Panday will also be on stage. AFP -
Actress Nora Fatehi is joining in the 'phenomenal experience' at Yas Island. AFP -
Actress Divya Khosla Kumar will join the gathering of Bollywood talent in Abu Dhabi. AFP -
Director Farah Khan will co-host IIFA Rocks, the musical night, on June 3. Photo: Red Chillies Entertainments -
Actor Aparshakti Khurana will host IIFA Rocks along with director Farah Khan. AFP -
Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar, centre, performs on stage during IIFA Rocks at the 20th International Indian Film Academy Awards at NSCI in Mumbai in September 2019. AFP -
Rapper Honey Singh is set to debut the song 'Designer' at the event in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Honey Singh -
Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa will also be a big musical attraction. Photo: Global Village -
Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit-Nene will be attending the IIFA Awards. AFP -
Director and producer Karan Johar was meant to host the IIFA Rocks on June 3, but has backed out due to scheduling conflicts. He will still be a guest on the IIFA Awards night on June 4. AFP -
Actor Bobby Deol will also be one of the guests. AFP -
Bollywood actress and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta Bhupathi. AFP -
Actress Nargis Fakhri. Getty Images -
Actor Arjun Rampal. AFP -
Actress Urvashi Rautela. AFP -
Bollywood couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Getty Images -
Actor Vicky Kaushal. AFP -
Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman. Expo 2020 Dubai -
Actress Kriti Sanon. AFP -
Actor Suniel Shetty. Photo: Araaish
