No IPL 2026 opening ceremony! BCCI opts to honour victims of Bengaluru stampede

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided against organising an opening ceremony for Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The much-awaited tournament is scheduled to begin from March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. As a mark of respect for the 11 victims who died in the Bengaluru stampede in June last year, the board has decided against having any sort of cultural or entertainment show before the start of IPL 2026, which has been a tradition.

No opening ceremony for IPL 2026

As per Times of India, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that there will be no IPL 2026 opening ceremony. The administrator stated that due to the tragic incident that unfolded in Bengaluru after RCB lifted their maiden IPL trophy, the board has decided that there will be no such cultural or entertainment show for the fans in order to honour those victims.

“Due to last year’s tragic incident on June 4 last year, there will be no formal function on the day of the start of IPL-2026 (in Bengaluru). The BCCI is not organizing any cultural or entertainment show at the start of IPL-19 as a mark of respect to the departed souls due to that tragedy on June 4, 2025,” the BCCI secretary said.

The BCCI, however, is planning a grand closing ceremony for IPL 2026 which is scheduled to be held on May 31. It is pertinent to point out that the board is yet to unveil the full schedule for the tournament. However, reports had previously suggested that Bengaluru is all set to host a playoff and the final as well.

“However, the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council are planning a grand entertainment function at the closing of the IPL, on the day of the final (May 31),” Saikia added.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium recently recieved clearance from the Karnataka government to host IPL 2026 matches. This was obtained after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) was forced to make several structural changes to the venue and adding safety measures as suggested by the Justice Cunha Commission which probed the Bengaluru stampede. As a part of the measures, the entry gates have been widened, ticketing system has been regularized and an enclosure to accomodate fans before they enter the stadium among others have been implemented. Earlier, reports also suggested that RCB and the KSCA have decided to leave 11 seats empty at the stadium for all IPL 2026 games in order to honour those who lost their lives in the Bengaluru stampede.

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