IPL 2025 to have grand opening ceremony across 13 venues
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning a one-of-a-kind opening ceremony for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
This will not only be held in Kolkata but will also be celebrated at all 13 venues where the tournament will be held, Sportstar reported.
The season opener will see Bollywood stars and Indian music artists perform grandly at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Cultural diversity
BCCI aims to enhance IPL's appeal with diverse celebrations
The BCCI's decision to host the opening ceremony at all venues is to make the tournament more appealing.
A source from Sportstar said, "We wanted to add more flavor to the tournament so that spectators from each and every venue can get a taste of the opening ceremony."
The plan is to have cultural programs with national and local artists at each venue.
Performance lineup
Key performers for opening ceremony
Shreya Ghoshal and Disha Patani are likely to be the star performers for Kolkata's opening ceremony.
The BCCI is in the final stages of negotiations with prospective performers for the other 12 events.
"The idea is to have a varied pool of Bollywood artists performing for all the programs, and with limited time in between innings, two to three artists could be accommodated," added the source.
Venue details
IPL 2025 to be held across 13 venues
IPL 2025 will be hosted across 13 venues, including three more as second homes for three franchises.
Guwahati and Visakhapatnam will be used as second homes by Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals respectively.
Punjab Kings, who used to play their home games in Mohali, have moved to Mullanpur as their home venue and will continue to use Dharamsala as their second home venue.
Information
KKR, RCB to clash in opener
The 2025 IPL season will begin with the clash between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on March 22. It will be a rematch from the 2008 IPL opener.