Mumbai: The International Indian Film Academy's 27th edition will be held at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on January 22 and 23, 2027, organisers announced at a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday. It will be IIFA's fourth time in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi and Miral.
The main awards ceremony on January 23 will be hosted by Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Maniesh Paul and Ananya Panday. The stage is set to feature performances by Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna and Nora Fatehi. The IIFA Digital Awards, on January 22, will be hosted by Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Abhishek Banerjee, with performances by Himesh Reshammiya and Sunidhi Chauhan.
At the press meet, Salman had a tongue-in-cheek suggestion for Varun ahead of his hosting debut. "Don't host. It takes six hours to host. Just do this (dance moves) and leave," Salman joked. Varun said the focus should be on films, adding, "In the word IIFA, the most important letter is F, which means film."
Pankaj Tripathi, hosting for the first time, said he was nervous. "I am soft spoken. I talk slowly... I will be more of a ghost than a host," he said. Rashmika, making her IIFA debut, said she was excited to perform. Kareena and Shahid, former co-stars, greeted each other with a hug on the red carpet, drawing attention.
Organisers said IIFA has partnered with YouTube for its first global livestream. Tickets for the awards are on sale, with digital awards ticket sales beginning on Friday.