The most eagerly anticipated event of the year is here with the opening ceremony of the 2016 IPL. This is the 9th edition of India's extremely popular domestic T20 tournament and we can only expect things to be even better than the last time. An assemble of Indian and international superstars from the entertainment industry are all set to take the viewers by storm in the lead-up to the grand cricketing spectacle.
Also read: IPL 2016 Opening Ceremony Live Updates: Katrina Kaif, Ranveer Singh to lit up the IPL
A ceremony of such magnitude deserves a great venue and it has found a perfect one in the form of the Dome @ NSCI-SVP Stadium. Located in Mumbai, it has hosted a number of important events ranging from automobile launches to fashion shows. However, the IPL opening ceremony is easily the biggest event that the Dome will be hosting ever since it was set up.
What can you look forward to at the IPL 2016 Opening Ceremony?
There are plenty of things that the fans can look forward to at the IPL 2016 opening ceremony. In the last 8 years, the event that raises the curtains for the epic Indian cricketing carnival has managed to exceed the expectations of the audience on most occasions. Everyone will be expecting this year's event to be the best that they have ever seen and going by what we know so far, they may not be disappointed.
Stars from the international music world have always been associated with opening ceremonies of the IPL, be it Snow Patrol or Akon. It is going to be no different this time around, too, as popular American R&B singer Chris Brown has been roped in by the organisers. Brown, who will be performing for the first time on Indian soil, is equally excited to finally cater to Indian audiences.
However, he is not the only international superstar who will be taking part in the event. Famous electronic dance music (EDM) group, Major Lazer, will also be joining in to double the joy for the music-crazy Indian fans. Unlike Chris Brown, the group is no stranger to the country as they were here before for the music video shoot of their chart-busting track 'Lean On', a song which found a lot of fan following in India.
Other foreign music celebrities who will be part of the line-up are English rapper Fuse ODG and female pop group TBC. There will also be representation from the cricketing world in the list of stars who will bring the roof down at the Dome with their performances. It is none other than West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who recently created a lot of buzz with his infectious 'Champion' song.
If you were thinking that our very own Bollywood will be subdued by the international star cast, be ready to get swept off your feet. The glamorous and extremely beautiful Katrina Kaif will be among the star attractions of the night. Giving her company will be the super-talented and highly followed young Indian actor Ranveer Singh, who has promised a performance which will highlight the unfading spirit of cricket.
The mercurial Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh will bring the party to Mumbai with some of his chart-topping numbers which have been the flavour of the country's younger generation. Another popular face from Bollywood who will be seen performing in the 2016 IPL opening ceremony is popular actress Jacqueline Fernandez. There will be several other performances and enough reasons to keep the fans hooked on to the proceedings.
Such a star-studded list of performers may be enough to win over most of those who will be witnessing the gala event which kicks off the 9th IPL season. However, for those who want more, there will be plenty of their favourite cricketing superstars present at the show for them to catch a glimpse of and also grab a quick selfie with. Apart from the current players, some of the legends of the game are also sure to turn up and make the night even more special.
IPL 2016 Opening Ceremony Schedule
Opening Ceremony Schedule Date - 8 April 2016, Friday
Opening Ceremony Schedule Time - 19:30 IST, 14:00 GMT
Opening Ceremony Schedule Venue - Dome @ National Sports Club of India - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Mumbai
List of celebrities performing at IPL 2016 Opening Ceremony
| Artist Names |
| Chris Brown |
| Major Lazer |
| TBC |
| Fuse ODG |
| Ranveer Singh |
| Katrina Kaif |
| Jacqueline Fernandez |
| Yo Yo Honey Singh |
| Dwayne Bravo |
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