Usually, an opening ceremony is held before the first match of any IPL season. However, this time, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has a different plan. As IPL completes 18 years, BCCI will not just organize an opening ceremony before the first match of IPL 2025 but will also conduct an opening ceremony before the first match at each venue throughout the season.
To celebrate 18 years of one of the world’s leading franchise tournaments, BCCI will host special ceremonies at all 13 venues. The IPL 2025 celebrations will continue throughout the season, with cultural programs featuring renowned artists before the first match at each stadium. A source familiar with the development told Sportstar, “We wanted to add more vibrancy to the tournament so that fans at every venue can enjoy the opening ceremony. We are planning a lineup of both national and local artists for cultural performances at each location.”
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IPL 2025 will kick off with a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. An opening ceremony will be held before this match, as confirmed by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) chairman, Snehasish Ganguly. He mentioned that the demand for tickets for this match is very high, and for the first time in a long while, an IPL opening ceremony will take place in Kolkata.
Before the KKR vs. RCB match, a 35-minute grand opening ceremony is planned, with renowned singer Shreya Ghoshal and actress Disha Patani likely to perform. ICC chairman Jay Shah and other dignitaries are also expected to attend the event. While Snehasish refrained from sharing further details about the opening ceremony, he stated, “It is a big match with very high ticket demand. The opening ceremony at Eden Gardens is happening after a long time.”