IIFA Awards 2027 in Abu Dhabi: hosts, performers and first YouTube livestream
Karan Johar and Varun Dhawan host the 27th IIFA Awards at Etihad Arena in January, with Salman Khan among the performers.
The 27th IIFA Weekend & Awards take place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island on 22 and 23 January 2027. It is the fourth time Abu Dhabi has hosted, after 2022, 2023 and 2024, and The National notes that Etihad Arena staged all three earlier ceremonies.
Karan Johar and Varun Dhawan host the main awards. The IIFA Digital Awards, which honour streaming work, are hosted by Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal, and it is Tripathi's first time hosting an awards show.
Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Janhvi Kapoor are confirmed to perform. "IIFA and I go back a long, long way," Salman Khan said, as quoted by Gulf News.
For the first time, the main ceremony will be livestreamed worldwide on YouTube, with celebrity conversations, creator content and behind-the-scenes material planned around it. Zee returns as the official broadcast partner for a third year in a row.
IIFA was first held in London in 2000 and moves between host cities: Dubai hosted in 2006, and the 25th edition went to Jaipur in 2025. Founder Andre Timmins called the return to Yas Island "incredibly special," and the event is staged with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and Miral.
IIFA Awards 2027Sat 23 Jan · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: The National, Gulf News
