Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Varun Dhawan to headline IIFA Awards 2023 in Abu Dhabi

The event will be held in February at the Etihad Arena for the second year running

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.

Actor Salman Khan will once again lead a contingent of Indian celebrities when the International Indian Film Academy Awards returns to Abu Dhabi in February.

Fellow actors Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, as well as director and producer Karan Johar, will join him for the event, which will be held in the capital for the second year running.

It's usually held in a different global city every year, however, a little more than three weeks after this year's event ended, it was announced that Abu Dhabi had been chosen again by popular demand.

"Everyone truly had a wonderful time this year in Abu Dhabi and so we are pleased and excited to bring it all back again but with much more magic to come next year," said Noreen Khan, vice president of IIFA.

While dates are still to be announced for next year's ceremony, tickets will go on sale from Friday.

This year's 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 marked the second time for the event to be held in the UAE — in 2006 it took place in Dubai — and it was the event's Abu Dhabi debut.

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

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.

The event began on June 3 with IIFA Rocks, featuring performances by top music stars, followed by the main awards gala on June 4, which also included performances by Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday. Salman Khan hosted the main event along with actors Riteish Deshmukh and Maniesh Paul.

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

Scroll through the gallery below for pictures from IIFA Rocks 2022 at the Etihad Arena

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.

“We are honoured to once more welcome the IIFA Weekend & Awards to Etihad Arena," said Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, director general for tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi. "With the eyes of the world’s film industry upon us, we have an amazing opportunity to share with the world Abu Dhabi’s exciting nightlife, inspiring cultural experiences and restorative escapes. The Awards in February can only enhance our reputation as a global centre for top-tier leisure, entertainment and business events.”

Tickets will be available from Friday at www.etihadarena.ae and travel package deals are listed on www.yasisland.ae