Vicky Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan to host IIFA Awards 2023 in Abu Dhabi

Bachchan, who was to host the event with actors Farhan Akhtar and Maniesh Paul before it was postponed, said he was ecstatic

Bollywood stars Vickey Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan will take on hosting duties when IIFA returns to Abu Dhabi this year. Photo: IIFA

Bollywood stars Vicky Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan will host the International Indian Film Academy Awards when it returns to Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena.

The two-day event celebrating Bollywood is scheduled to be held on May 26 and 27 at the Yas Island venue.

The event will kick off with IIFA Rocks, a night dedicated to music and fashion, with the main awards gala held on the second night.

Bachchan, who was to host the gala night with actors Farhan Akhtar and Maniesh Paul before the event was postponed from February to May, said he was "ecstatic".

"IIFA is like family to me and it gives me immense pleasure to celebrate the extraordinary range that Indian cinema has to offer," he said.

Kaushal, who won the IIFA's Best Actor award for his role in the historical film Sardar Udham last year, said he can't wait to be "back to take centre stage".

"My journey with IIFA goes back seven years to my first film Masaan when I won the Best Debut Award, followed by Best Supporting Actor for Sanju and Best Actor for Sardar Udham last year," he said.

Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures from the IIFA Awards 2022 in Abu Dhabi

The IIFA Awards are usually held in a different city every year, but is returning to Abu Dhabi for the second year in a row.

Stars confirmed to perform this year include Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan, Karan Johar and Kriti Sanon.

First held in London in 2000, the IIFA Awards were conceptualised by Mumbai event company Wizcraft International Entertainment and have been instrumental in boosting Bollywood's global popularity.

Cities that have previously hosted the awards include Dubai, Bangkok, New York, Colombo, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florida, Kuala Lumpur and Macau.

Last year's event marked the first time it was held in Abu Dhabi, on June 3 to 4, after being postponed from its original May date following the death of Sheikh Khalifa.

More than 20,000 fans attended the event across two days, IIFA said.

The prestigious event was set to return to Etihad Arena this month, but was postponed until May. No details on the reasons for the postponement were given. However, Etihad Arena’s Instagram account posted information for those who have already purchased their tickets.

“All customers with existing tickets will receive revised tickets for the new dates automatically. Existing ticket holders can also request a refund by emailing their request to the respective ticketing platform, from which the purchase was made within 10 working days," the post read.

“All refunds will then be processed accordingly. Tickets will continue to be on sale for the new dates with immediate effect at etihadarena.ae.”

Scroll through the gallery below for all the green carpet looks at last year's IIFA Awards in Abu Dhabi