IPL 2026: RCB cancels victory parade amid security and crowd management concerns
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "IPL 2026: RCB cancels victory parade amid security and crowd management concerns")
Royal Challengers Bengaluru players pose with the trophy Photograph: (ANI)
RCB cancels Bengaluru victory parade after second IPL title win, citing safety concerns, police restrictions, and memories of last year's stampede
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans will not get the opportunity to celebrate the franchise’s IPL title defence with the team in Bengaluru, as the management has decided against holding a victory parade in the city. RCB secured their second consecutive IPL title after defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 31). However, concerns over public safety and crowd management prompted the franchise to avoid organising large-scale public celebrations.
The decision comes in the backdrop of last year’s tragic stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which took the lives of 11 fans following RCB’s maiden IPL title celebrations. Another big reason influencing the decision is the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka’s newly appointed Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar. The event is scheduled to take place at Lok Bhavan at 4:10 pm, with the Governor’s residence located close to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Authorities expect a large turnout for the political ceremony, requiring extensive police deployment. With security resources already stretched, officials would find it difficult to manage another major public gathering in the city. Taking these factors into account, the RCB management chose to comply with the police notification that prohibits public celebrations on Bengaluru’s streets. The June 4, 2025, tragedy sparked widespread public outrage and led to intervention from the state government, judiciary, and the Karnataka High Court, resulting in stricter crowd-control measures for future events.
“It is highly unlikely that there will be any activities in Bengaluru. There are certain guidelines in place, and we need to stick to them,” a RCB was quoted as saying to news agency PTI. Earlier, Bengaluru City Police had issued an advisory urging supporters to refrain from public celebrations if RCB won the IPL final. “We have issued an advisory asking fans not to celebrate publicly on the streets and especially not to disturb peace and security.
“We will not allow any public celebrations. If anyone wants to celebrate, they can do it indoors,” Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh had said. Meanwhile, several RCB players are set to leave for international duties. Devdutt Padikkal will join India’s Test squad in Mullanpur ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, while Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, Jacob Duffy, and Romario Shepherd are also expected to report for their respective national teams.
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