Bollywood's biggest awards night is coming back to the UAE capital. Organisers have confirmed that the 27th IIFA Weekend and Awards will take place on January 22 and 23, 2027, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island — Abu Dhabi's fourth time hosting the event.
Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor have all been confirmed as performers, alongside Rashmika Mandanna, who will take the IIFA stage for the first time. The show will be hosted by Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday, Karan Johar and Manish Paul.
Abu Dhabi's repeated hosting of IIFA has become something of a fixture on the region's entertainment calendar, drawing Bollywood fans from across the Gulf each time it returns. Etihad Arena, which regularly hosts major concerts and sporting events, is once again positioned as the stage for one of Indian cinema's highest-profile nights.
Tickets have gone on sale, though organisers have not yet released pricing tiers or seating categories. Past editions in Abu Dhabi combined the awards ceremony with red-carpet appearances and pre-show concerts, and similar add-on events are expected to be announced closer to January.
For UAE residents who follow Hindi cinema, the date gives a concrete window to plan around — mid-to-late January 2027 — while fans travelling from elsewhere in the region will likely watch for flight and hotel packages tied to the event once full programming details are released.