IIFA Awards to return to Abu Dhabi in February 2023

The International Indian Film Academy Awards were held in the UAE capital earlier this month

Actors Maniesh Paul, Riteish Deshmukh and Salman Khan hosted the 22nd IIFA Awards at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. All photos: IIFA2022

Salman Khan arrived to the venue on a motorbike.

Actor Tiger Shroff was one of the first performers of the night.

Tiger Shroff is known for his high-energy dance moves.

Shroff performed a mix of his hits, including 'Whistle Baja', 'Zindagi Aa Raha Hoon Main', 'Dus Bahane' and 'Jai Jai Shivshankar'.

Singer Jubin Natiyal won the Best Playback Singer (Male) for the song 'Raataan Lambiyan' from the film 'Shershaah'.

Asees Kaur also won Best Playback Singer (Female) for 'Raataan Lambiyan' from the film 'Shershaah'.

Ahan Shetty won the Best Debut (Male) for his role in 'Tadap'.

Actor Suniel Shetty handed the Best Debut (Male) award to his son Ahan Shetty.

Actress Divya Khosla Kumar performs.

Rapper Yo Yo Singh and Guru Randhawa debuted their song 'Designer' at the IIFA Awards.

The musicians were joined by Divya Khosla Kumar for a performance.

Punjabi pop star Guru Randhawa performs.

Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh on stage.

Actor Abhishek Bachchan appears on stage.

Nora Fatehi on stage at the IIFA Awards 2022 in Abu Dhabi.

Nora Fatehi shared the stage with a young dancer, Kashni from Abu Dhabi, who she found via an Instagram scout.

Fatehi also debuted her new song 'Dirty Little Secrets' in Abu Dhabi.

Filmmaker Vishnuvardhan's film 'Shershaah' won both Best Director and Best Picture.

Anurag Basu won Best Original Story for 'Ludo'.

Sai Tamhankar with her award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film 'Mimi'.

Pankaj Tripathi won Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Ludo'.

Kriti Sanon received the Best Actress for her role in the film 'Mimi'.

Vicky Kaushal with his Best Actor for his role in 'Sardar Udham'.

Abhishek Bachchan began his performance with the song 'Indiawale'.

Abhishek Bachchan performs. His was one of the most well-received performances of the night.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Aaradhya dancing as they watch Abhishek Bachchan perform.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya enjoy Abhishek's performance on the front row.

Ananya Panday performs.

Actress Sara Ali Khan performs.

Abhishek Bachchan performs.

Ananya Panday's first ever live performance didn't seem like one. She aced it like a seasoned performer.

Sara Ali Khan delivered a high-energy set on stage.

For his performance, Shahid Kapoor made his entrance with the song 'Yaad Aa Raha Hai' via a small platform above the audience.

Kapoor's performance was a tribute to Bollywood singer and composer Bappi Lahiri, who died in February.

Kapoor also pulled actress Ananya Panday from the audience.

Lahiri was known for introducing Bollywood to disco and electronic music. For Kapoor's performance, the Etihad Arena was converted into a disco hall.

Kapoor was also joined by Nora Fatehi for a song.

Kapoor's tribute to Lahiri was the final performance of the night.

Less than a year after the International Indian Film Academy Awards held its first Abu Dhabi ceremony, the prestigious annual Bollywood event is set to return to the capital.

The IIFA Awards will take place in the UAE again in February 2023, it was announced at a press conference on Yas Island on Thursday, attended by Saleh Mohammed Al Geziry, director general for tourism, The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, chief executive of Miral; Aref Hamad Al Awani, general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council; and Saif Al Noaimi, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management.

Noreen Khan, vice president of the IIFA, attended the conference via a video call from India: “The Wizcraft team and the Bollywood stars all had such a great and positive experience in the emirate the first time around,” she said. Khan also revealed that award-winning composer AR Rahman will be in concert at Etihad Arena on October 29.

The 2022 IIFA event was held on June 3 to 4 at Etihad Arena after being postponed from its original May date, following the death of Sheikh Khalifa.

It was the first time it was held in the UAE since 2006, when it took place in Dubai, and it was the event's Abu Dhabi debut.

The IIFA Weekend & Awards featured performances by some of the biggest Indian stars across two days, with many of the top films and actors of the past year honoured on the final night.

First held in London in 2000, the IIFA Awards were conceptualised by Mumbai event company Wizcraft International Entertainment to honour the best Hindi films and movie talents of the previous year. It is held in a different country every year, and has been instrumental in boosting Bollywood's popularity globally.

Dubai hosted the event in 2006, and so has Bangkok, New York, Colombo, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florida, Kuala Lumpur and Macau.

While the 2020 and 2021 awards were cancelled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2019 IIFA event was held in Mumbai, the home of Bollywood.

"Over the last 21 years, the IIFA has not only given Indian cinema an international platform, but it has created a wonderful opportunity to take us to our fans and connect millions of people globally," host Salman Khan said.

Scroll through the gallery below to see the best green carpet looks from IIFA Awards 2022