THE CITY OF MADRID SET FOR A STELLAR WEEK AS BOLLYWOOD DESCENDS ON MADRID FOR ASIA’S BIGGEST AWARDS SHOW

~VIDEOCON D2H IIFA WEEKEND AND NEXA IIFA AWARDS POWERED BY LE ECO COMMENCE FESTIVITIES IN SPAIN~

 ~COME BE A PART OF THE IIFA CELEBRATIONS AT IFEMA – FERIA DE MADRID~

–       IIFA 2016 to see outstanding acts by the biggest stars in Bollywood including Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Sonakshi Sinha, Ameesha Patel, Sooraj Pancholi and Shilpa Shetty

–       Videocon d2h IIFA Rocks to be hosted by Karan Johar and Fawad Khan with guest host Manish Paul and the NEXA IIFA Awards to be hosted by Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar.

–       Videocon d2h IIFA Rocks to see spell-binding performances by musical megastars Pritam, Kanika Kapoor, Meet Brothers, Benny Dayal, Neeti Mohan, Monali Thakur, Papon along with Mouni Roy, Eli Avram and Daisy Shah who will be performing as well

–       IIFA Stomp in collaboration with MULAFEST Urban Trends Festival features a line-up that underlines its electronic heart, with pioneering artists from the international scene- electronic artists and musicians like Raghu Dixit Project, B.R.E.E.D, Midival Punditz featuring Karsh Kale and friends, and Nucleya

23^rd June 2016, Madrid: The 17th edition of the Videocon D2H IIFA Weekend and the NEXA IIFA Awards powered by Le Eco began the festivities today in Madrid, Spain. One of Europe’s busiest cultural centers and the football capital of the world – Madrid has come to be known as “A City with Music in Its Soul” and a “City That Knows How To Live”. 2016 also marks the important milestone of Celebrating 60 Years of India-Spain Diplomatic Relations

The IIFA Celebrations for 2016 were officially kicked off with the Opening Press Conference held at Hotel Westin Palace, which was attended by media, dignitaries and friends of IIFA. Eminent Bollywood Stars like Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Boman Irani, Kabir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Bipasha Basu, Huma Qureshi, Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Riteish Deshmukh, Neha Dhupia, Madhavan, Aftab Shivdasani, Sohail Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala,  Shriya Saran, Sonu Sood, Jackie Shroff, Richa Chaddha, Frieda Pinto, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi are some of the many stars and celebrities participating in the biggest Indian Film Awards show internationally. The press conference was followed by a special teaser screening of the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film- Mirziya.

Fans of Indian Cinema can look forward to a string of star-studded events including the IIFA Rocks – a music mega-event held at IFEMA – Feria de Madrid where some of the best artists in the music industry will perform. The FICCI – IIFA Global Business Forum, being organized in association with Camara Spain, – is a platform for international business and networking where global dignitaries and business leaders discuss and connect to create opportunities for India and Spain.. Madrid will also get to experience IIFA Stomp & Rang Jam- a celebration of one of the biggest and most colorful festivals in India – Holi. IIFA will also be an intrinsic feature of the Mulafest this year, Madrid’s annual culture fest that brings together music, art and food all in one place and hosted at IFEMA – Feria de Madrid.

The final and most awaited event of the weekend is the NEXA IIFA Awards powered by Le Eco, a spectacular and glamorous night which honors and celebrates excellence and deserving work in Indian cinema will beheld at IFEMA – Feria de Madrid.

Andre Timmins, Director, Wizcraft Entertainment International said, “This is the fourth time that IIFA will travel to Europe and Madrid has proved to be the best destination yet. We have been welcomed with open arms by the city and the very spirit of the city is vibrant and colourful just like the culture in India. This Weekend will see some of the most incredible talent from the Indian Film and music Industry on an international stage and we can whole-heartedly be assured that the 17^th edition of the IIFA Celebrations will be as outstanding and remarkable as always.”

The NEXA IIFA AWARDS powered by Le Eco and the Videocon d2h IIFA ROCKS will be broadcast on India’s leading Hindi entertainment channel, Colors Viacom18. Commenting on Viacom18’s network wide partnership with IIFA 2016, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 said “The IIFA Weekend brings together the entire film industry making it one of the most-awaited and most-watched Awards ceremony for audiences across the Indian diaspora spread across almost 100 countries. Indian cinema and our talent have made significant inroads globally and we are delighted to extend the IIFA extravaganza across our network. With Colors being the lead global broadcast partner, this year we embrace the IIFAs across our broadcast channels with Rishtey, Rishtey Cineplex, Colors Infinity and MTV. This year we will also be streaming the IIFAs for our digital audiences on our recently-launched VOD platform, Voot.”

Speaking of the association, Mr. R. S Kalsi, Executive director, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. said“We are delighted to associate with NEXA IIFA Awards 2016 for the second year, last year we showcased our Premium crossover S-Cross at IIFA. This year we will showcase how NEXA is at the forefront of bringing innovation & delivering outstanding experiences.

Nexa is not just an automotive brand but also a lifestyle brand. NEXA is all about newer and premium experiences, just like IIFA which builds lifetime experiences and felicitates excellence in Indian cinema at a global stage”

Mr. Saurabh Dhoot, Executive Chairman – Videocon d2h said, “IIFA awards over the years have grown tremendously in terms of scale and extravaganza. This year’s Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend promises to be yet another milestone with lots of entertainment, glamour & innovation. Videocon d2h is today the 1st Indian media company to be listed on Nasdaq, USA. IIFA and Videocon d2h are perfect examples of Indian brands making a huge mark globally.”

Mr. Anil Khera, CEO – Videocon d2h added, “Videocon d2h is proud to continue its association with IIFA for the 8th year in a row. Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend is a spectacular event celebrating talent in the entertainment industry and is a perfect brand fit for us. The IIFA Awards have striven to achieve a perfect balance of public opinion and critical appreciation across the globe. Videocon d2h will continue to support and encourage this endeavour to take Indian Cinema to a global audience.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Atul Jain, COO Smart Electronics Devices Business, Le Eco said “We see a remarkable synergy between LeEco’s proposition of supertainment as    core offering and IIFA’s objective of recreating the magic of Indian cinema and showcasing it to global audiences. As a young company, we view  this partnership as a   smart, strategic initiative that will help us enhance the  affinity for brand LeEco with our consumers .  We are delighted to associate with IIFA Awards 2016 and showcase how our ecosystem based business model delivers outstanding lifestyle enhancing experiences to users”. 

Mr. Pankaj Munjal, Chairman & Managing Director, Hero Cycles Ltd. commented “We are proud to be associated with IIFA as its cause partner. IIFA is undoubtedly one of the best and biggest platforms to reach out to people and encourage them to take up cycling in their lives. Through this association we aim to reach out to millions of fans India and across the world. The event brings together all big Bollywood names under one roof and we want to draw them into this initiative. Through our kiosks at the event, we would invite celebrities to talk about the health and environmental benefits of cycling and encourage their fans and youth to take up the same. These celebrities become perfect ambassador to promote health and fitness among the millions of their fans not just in India but also across the world.”

According to Mr. Luis Cueto, Chairman of the Governing Board of IFEMA, “Holding the IIFA AWARDS will be an important global showcase for IFEMA and for Madrid. Our support for this great event for the Indian film industry and its presence on our premises as its headquarters in Spain, will drive our institution’s mission to stimulate tourism and generate business opportunities. There is no question that this event will serve to raise Madrid’s profile in Asian markets and encourage investment and business agreements, as well as attracting numerous tourists from India”.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Europe, Mr. Jonathan Harding said, “We are delighted to be partnering with IIFA to promote this event around the world, to every destination we serve. This partnership truly reflects our core brand value of Going Places Together.

The popularity of Indian cinema has grown exponentially over the years, reflected in the scale and extravaganza of the IIFA awards. As one of the fastest growing global airlines, operating two flights a day to Madrid and connecting to more than 150 destinations, Qatar Airways is well-positioned to offer its award-winning services to those attending the IIFA awards this year.”

“In Mahou we are very committed with Madrid and its neighbourhoods. This is why we support cultural and leisure activities like the Elephant Parade which for one weekend will fill the streets of Madrid with the joy of India” commented Pablo de la Fuente – Consumer Director Mahou Brand

Iberia is the European and Domestic Airline Partner of IIFA 2016. By logging on to www.iberia.com, travellers can take an advantage of a 10% discount on the fair using the promotional code “IIFA”. This promotional is valid for return flights to Madrid from 18th June to 1st July, 2016 for bookings before June 26, 2016.

Day 2 of the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend will feature the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum, which will focus on urgent environmental issues that affect the global population. With regard to economic and political relationships, the highlight of this year’s Global Business Forum will be innovation and entrepreneurship that are becoming staple features of an evolving society and bringing out tremendous changes across the world in the way that businesses are forming and altering the face of modern trade and industry and state connectivity.

The musical spectacle IIFA Rocks will be hosted by none other than heart throb Fawad Khan alongside renowned Director-Producer Karan Johar with guest host Manish Paul! IIFA Rocks has always been a perennial star studded affair with a mix of fashion and music. This year, the IIFA Rocks stage will include noted music director-composer-singer Pritam, the melodious sounds from Kanika Kapoor with Meet Brothers, Benny Dayaland Neeti Mohan among others.  National-award winner Monali Thakur with Papon will be serenading the audience and Shilpa Shetty, Ameesha Patel, Mauni Roy, Sooraj Pancholi, Eli Avram and Daisy Shah will be performing as well.  Alongside the gamut of musical acts and performances, the distinguished Indian Fashion Designer Vikram Phadnis will be showcasing a breathtaking Fashion Show.

Additionally, another facet of the IIFA extravaganza which is all set to make its way to Madrid, bringing together the best of Spanish and Indian culture is the IIFA Stomp in collaboration with MULAFEST Urban Trends Festival, organized by the MULA community and supported by IFEMA with a line-up that underlines its electronic heart, with pioneering artists from the international scene. The second day of the Weekend will feature a celebration by renowned electronic artists and musicians like Raghu Dixit Project and Midival Punditzfeaturing Karsh Kale and friends.

Day 3 opens with a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity as Shilpa Shetty will conduct the IIFA Stomp Yoga Masterclass at IFEMA – Feria de Madrid which will be followed by the highlight of the Weekend Celebrations – the NEXAIIFA Awards powered by Le Eco, hosted by the multitalented Farhan Akhtar and the versatile actor ShahidKapoor. The awards ceremony in Madrid will witness awe-inspiring performances by Bollywood’s very own crème de la crème Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Sonakshi Sinha and Tiger Shroff among others. The IIFA Stomp celebrations in collaboration with MULAFEST Urban Trends Festival will continue as electronic artists B.R.E.E.D. and Nucleya take the stage.

Day 4 will conclude the Weekend extravaganza as the IIFA Stomp celebrations in collaboration with MULAFEST Urban Trends Festival bring the Weekend to a close with the IIFA Stomp and Rang Jam with a theme based of one of India’s most colourful festivals – Holi! The party will feature amazing Bollywood remixes, great visuals, henna artistes, Bollywood dancers on stage, Indian street food and performances by 3 of the most well-known DJ’s of India – DJ Amann, DJ Clement, DJ Sumit Sethi.

With the City of Madrid playing host to the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend and NEXA IIFA Awards 2016, The Title Sponsor for the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend are Videocon D2h, Title Sponsors for the Awards are Maruti Suzuki, the Host Destination Partners in Madrid are the City of Madrid and IFEMA – Feria de Madrid. Le Eco is the Powered by Sponsor and Hero Cycles are the Cause Partners. IIFA Awards celebrations will air exclusively on broadcast partners, Colors TV and Mahou and Movistar+ will be the co-sponsor of IIFA Celebrations. El Corte Ingles are the ‘Official Retail Partners’ and Qatar Airways is the “Official Airline” for the IIFA celebrations,Clear Channel is “OOH Media Partner” for IIFA and Iberia is the European and Domestic Airline Partner.

IIFA 2016 is also supported by Westin Palace, NH Collection, Carnival Cinemas, Nike, Travel Pack, Coca Cola, Marco Aldany, Algeria and Kiros