The 27th International Indian Film Academy Awards now has its dates, venue and hosts. At a press conference in Mumbai on October 22, organisers said IIFA 2027 will run on January 22 and 23 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Hosts and stage plans
The main awards night on January 23 will be fronted by four names: Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday and Maniesh Paul. Shahid Kapoor, who arrived at the event in an all-white outfit, is set to perform during the main ceremony.
The IIFA Digital Awards, scheduled for January 22, will be hosted by Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal. Organisers said it will be the first time the two actors share hosting duties, and that the evening is expected to include several new faces making their IIFA stage debut.
Salman’s red-carpet warning
Salman Khan also attended the press event and repeated his instruction to photographers not to shoot from behind the celebrities. “You remember, don’t you? I told you not to take back shots,” he said.
Why the calendar shift matters
The edition originally planned for 2026 in Southeast Asia was moved to early 2027 to allow more preparation time and coordinate international schedules, turning IIFA into an early-year fixture. Abu Dhabi is a familiar host; IIFA was last held there in 2022.
The record to keep in mind
IIFA has travelled widely since its first edition at London’s Millennium Dome in 2000, where Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam won Best Film. At the silver jubilee edition in Jaipur in March 2025, Laapataa Ladies won 10 awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The single-night record is higher still: 3 Idiots and Devdas took 16 awards each at their respective ceremonies.
- Main ceremony: January 23; hosts Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday, Maniesh Paul
- Digital Awards: January 22; hosts Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal
- Venue: Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
- Shahid Kapoor will perform at the main ceremony
How winners are chosen
For fans tracking nominations, several popular categories are decided primarily by online voting. Technical winners are often selected through a combination of public voting and a jury, and some categories are decided entirely by IIFA’s selection panel. The process is monitored by independent auditors such as PwC.
Source: Bhaskar English
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