The most memorable IIFA Awards moments over the years

Ever since the first Indian International Film Academy Awards, or IIFA Awards , were held in London in 2000, the annual event has established itself as one of the biggest gatherings of top Bollywood celebrities and their fans. Held in a different city every year, and usually over several days, the IIFA Awards return to the UAE this weekend, with Abu Dhabi playing host for the third year in a row. This year, the event is bringing additional South Indian star power with IIFA Utsavam, which is dedicated to films and celebrities from the region. To be held across three days at Etihad Arena, the IIFA Festival (as it is called this year) will begin with IIFA Utsavam on Friday. The second night, on Saturday, will be the flagship IIFA Awards , which honour the best of Bollywood or the Hindi film industry. The festival will close with IIFA Rocks , a night dedicated to music and fashion, on Sunday. All three nights are expected to feature top stars from India's entertainment industry. Ahead of the awards, here's a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the past. The first awards at the Millennium Dome, now named The O2, was as star-studded as they come as Bollywood and Hollywood stars got together. Jackie Chan, who received an honorary award, and Kylie Minogue, pictured, walked the red carpet. Angelina Jolie was also one of the presenters. Priyanka Chopra was the host of the second awards. Hrithik Roshan's debut film Kaho NAA Pyar Hai was the big winner of the night. Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta was the host and another former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen, was one of the performers in Malaysia. Anil Kapoor and Dia Mirza were the hosts as veteran actor Dev Anand, who died in 2011, was given a career achievement award by Rekha. Actors Rahul Khanna and Celina Jaitly were hosts. Amitabh Bachchan, brand ambassador for the event, was one of the presenters, while his wife Jaya's film Kal Ho Na Ho swept the awards that year. Amsterdam got its taste of Bollywood magic, with director Karan Johar and actor Fardeen Khan as hosts. A performance by the Bachchan family, featuring Amitabh, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek, was one of the highlights. It was Dubai's turn in 2006, with Lara Dutta returning as host along with actor Fardeen Khan. The highlight was a performance by Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Lara Dutta yet again took on hosting duties, this time alongside actor Boman Irani. Govinda and Salman Khan put up an electrifying performance on the night. Hosts Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh left the audience in splits in Bangkok. Priyanka Chopra was one of the performers while Shah Rukh Khan's Chak De! India swept all the major awards. Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh returned as hosts in Macau. Deshmukh also performed with Govinda on the night that clearly belonged to Jodhaa Akbar, the period film starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Kareena Kapoor Khan was one of the performers, while Aamir Khan's 3 Idiots won in most of the major categories. Shah Rukh Khan was one of the big attractions in Toronto. The star was one of the performers and also won Best Actor for his film My Name is Khan, given to him at the event by Oscar winner Hillary Swank. Actors Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar were the hosts and Ranbir Kapoor's performance was one of the highlights. Veteran actress Sridevi, who had just had a career revival with her film English Vinglish , was one of the performers. One of the most celebrated Bollywood stars, Sridevi died of a heart attack in her hotel room in Dubai in 2018. She was only 54. A performance by Priyanka Chopra and John Travolta remains the highlight of this star-studded evening. Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor played host as the awards returned to Kuala Lumpur for the second time. Shraddha Kapoor was one of the performers of the night, while Deepika Padukone received the Woman of the Year award. Bollywood's biggest and brightest turned up in the Spanish capital, where Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar were the hosts. Deepika Padukone was one of the star performers. Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's film Udta Punjab won all the main categories. Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan shared hosting duties, and Varun Dhawan presented Bhatt with her Best Actress award. Riteish Deshmukh, pictured with Kriti Sanon, returned as host along with Karan Johar. The night was an emotional one as Sridevi, who died earlier that year, won Best Actress for her role in Mom . It was as star-studded as it could get as the awards returned home to be hosted by actor brothers Ayushmann Khurrana and Aparshakti Khurana. Performers included Ranveer Singh, Salman Khan, Vicky Kaushal, Sara Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif and Madhuri Dixit-Nene. Following a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards returned to the UAE . Bollywood megastar Salman Khan hosted the event along with actors Maniesh Paul and Riteish Deshmukh. Khan got teary-eyed on stage when he recounted his early struggles and all the people who supported him while he was starting out in the industry and had limited means. Vicky Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan were hosts as the event returned to the UAE capital . The pair's chemistry ensured an entertaining evening was had by all, while top performances included a hit-laden turn from Varun Dhawan, while Rakul Preet Singh and Nora Fatehi paid tribute to the Bollywood stars of yesteryear.

The most memorable IIFA Awards moments over the years

As Abu Dhabi prepares to celebrate all things Bollywood and host the event for the third year in a row, here is a look back on what has happened at past shows