Bollywood power couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are the latest addition to the starry line-up of actors and celebrities who will be attending the 22nd edition of the IIFA Weekend and Awards, which takes place on June 3 and 4 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
“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,” Abhishek said in a statement on May 31. The actor will also be performing at the event.
Aishwarya added: “I am delighted to be a part of IIFA’s 22nd edition. It has always been splendid to be a part of IIFA Awards for years. Undoubtedly, it is the global event that both the Indian film industry and its well-wishers look forward to every year.”
The actress has had a long association with IIFA; she was named Best Actor at the inaugural IIFA Awards held at the Millennium Dome, London, in 2000. In 2005, a tulip was named ‘Aishwarya’ during the IIFA weekend in Amsterdam. Aishwarya was also part of the IIFA celebrations in 2006, which was the first time the event was held in the UAE.
Other stars who are set to attend the celebrations, include Mithun Chakraborty, Lara Dutta, Tamannaah Bhatia, Nargis Fakri, Bobby Deol, Arjun Rampal, Sanya Malhotra, Urvashi Rautela and film producer Boney Kapoor.
Farah Khan Kunder and Aparshakti Khurana will host IIFA Rocks, the musical night on June 3. While Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Maniesh Paul will host the main awards event.
Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Tiger Shroff are two of the top-billed performers on the night of June 4, along with Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday, Nora Fatehi and Divya Khosla Kumar.
Tickets are on sale and are priced at Dh110, Dh220, Dh330, Dh440, Dh550, Dh1,000 and Dh1,350. They will be available through the venue’s official website, www.etihadarena.ae/en/box-office, while fans can also head to yasisland.ae to snap up a travel package.
