IIFA 2027 in Abu Dhabi: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Karan Johar, Janhvi Kapoor, to headline star-studded awards night

Dubai: Bollywood heavyweights Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal are set to headline the 27th IIFA Weekend & Awards, to be held in Abu Dhabi next year.

The ceremony, often dubbed as Bollywood Oscars, returns to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on Yas Island on January 22 and 23.

The line-up was unveiled alongside the venue announcement at the on-going Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, where IIFA signed a renewed partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Miral, the destination developer behind Yas Island's entertainment offerings.

The signing brought together Miral Group CEO Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, DCT Abu Dhabi's Director General for the Tourism Sector H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, and IIFA co-founder Andre Timmins.

This marks the fourth time Yas Island has hosted IIFA, and organizers are billing it as the biggest edition yet: a two-day event combining awards, live performances and red-carpet spectacle. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 18, at 10 a.m. UAE time, via Etihad Arena's official booking platform.

Al Geziry called IIFA "one of the world's most influential celebrations of Indian cinema," framing its return as a reflection of Abu Dhabi's ties with India and its ambitions as a global entertainment hub. Miral's Taghrid Alsaeed pointed to Etihad Arena as the venue for moments that "resonate with audiences worldwide," while Timmins framed 2027 as IIFA's biggest chapter yet.