IIFA Awards advanced to June first week

Days after the International Indian Film Academy postponed the 22nd edition of the IIFA Weekend and Awards to July, the organisers announced that the three-day extravaganza will now kick off on June 2.

The annual gala was previously scheduled to be held in May at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi but was later delayed to July after the UAE declared a 40-day mourning period following the demise of UAE President and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday night, the International Indian Film Academy announced the new date of the awards ceremony.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and actor Riteish Deshmukh will host the much anticipated event, which will see performances by cine personalities, including Ranveer Singh, Kartik Aaryan, Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday, Divya Khosla Kumar and Nora Fatehi.

The event will take place at Etihad Arena, part of Yas Bay Waterfront on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), and Miral.